When brand attachment turns negative: Compulsive buying and trash-talking in Ho Chi Minh city consumer-brand relationships

Abstract

Prior studies have shown that brand attachment impacts consumer behavior positively. Therefore, it became a powerful and salient way for marketers to do branding. However, there are recent studies that discovered the negative impact of brand attachment. Aware of its dark side, this study surveyed 408 respondents aged 16-34 in Ho Chi Minh City to analyze the flip side of brand attachment, especially compulsive buying and trash-talking. The results of analyzing 408 samples prove that the impulsive and compulsive buying are positively correlated with two aspects of brand attachment: passion and prominence. Moreover, consumers who engage in obsessive-compulsive buying are more prone to display trash-talking. The study a deeper understanding of brand attachment and confirms that brand attachment also has a negative impact. Hence, marketers and governments need to consider those negative effects before using brand attachment for branding.