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A double-edged sword: the effect of brand self-regulatory messages on brand attitude in the U.S.

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Abstract

This study investigated the effect of self-regulatory messages by brands held accountable for causing public health concerns. With a brand’s aim to enhance the brand's public image by countering the negative perception of its products, the question was raised whether an individual brand communicating self-regulatory messages would receive a positive brand attitude. Results revealed that the brand’s self-regulatory message was positively evaluated only when consumers favored a brand. Consumers who had a negative attitude toward the brand reacted negatively to the self-regulatory message by the brand. Consumers also exhibited adverse brand evaluations when unfavorable to a product category. Ulterior motives of the brand were more inferred when they viewed a self-regulatory message than a promotional message. Consumer pre-existing attitude toward a brand or a product moderated the causal relationships of a self-regulatory message, ulterior motives, counterarguments, and brand attitude. The study highlights that brand communication of self-regulatory messages may not yield positive responses, especially when targeting the general public as a socially responsible action. Brands should be selective in their target audience, focusing on those who already hold a favorable view of the brand, to mitigate the risk of negative responses.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Research Fund and Fulbright Scholarship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Business, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Faculty Building #340, 107 Imun-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 02450, Korea

    Jihye Park

  2. Graduate School of Management, University of California, Davis, 3108 Gallagher Hall, 540 Alumni Lane, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    H. Rao Unnava

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  1. Jihye Park
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Correspondence to Jihye Park.

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Appendices

Appendix 1

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Table 1 Study 1 pretest: frequency of prior brand attitude
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Appendix 2

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Table 2 Study 2 pretest: frequency of product attitude
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2.

Appendix 3

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Table 3 Study 3B pretest: frequency of cause involvement
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3.

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Park, J., Unnava, H.R. A double-edged sword: the effect of brand self-regulatory messages on brand attitude in the U.S.. J Brand Manag (2024). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-024-00351-2

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