Rebellion in the consumer ranks

As brands become increasingly present in our lives, and the subject of more and more fandom and adoration, anti-branding is reversing the trend by showing everything that is wrong and despicable about companies and their products.

We asked ourselves: why do people hate brands, and why do they also feel the need to join online groups of hateful consumers? There is an increasing number of anti-brand groups on social media and we discovered through an online survey and interviewing some reasons that drive people to join anti-brand online communities:

  • Doubtful brand ethics, or contradiction between consumer and corporate values
  • Preference for a competing brand
  • Need for social approval
  • Want to detach oneself from material and branded goods in general
  • Negative experiences with the brand

Multinationals seem to gather the most negative attention, probably due to their higher visibility and reputation. The profiles of consumers who join anti-brand communities is on the other hand very complex: from disgruntled customers to former or current employees of the company, going through tech or ethics experts, all sorts of people seem to find a sense of belonging and fulfillment in these groups. 

In the face of hordes of haters, which position do you think is best for companies to adopt?

Laurence

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