To Competence or Warmth? Effects of Anthropomorphized Brand Roles and Brand Transgression on Consumer Responses

Siyuan Zhang () and Xue Lin
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Siyuan Zhang: Shandong Normal University
Xue Lin: Shandong Normal University

A chapter in Proceedings of the 2025 7th International Conference on Economic Management and Model Engineering (ICEMME 2025), 2026, pp 305-314 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract Based on Expectation Violation Theory and Cognitive Appraisal Theory, this study examines how congruence between brand anthropomorphism (competence vs. warmth) and transgression type (performance vs. moral) shapes consumer reactions, with disappointment as a mediator. A 2×2 between-subjects experiment revealed a interactive effect: competence-positioned brands provoked stronger negative responses to performance failures, while warmth-positioned brands elicited stronger reactions to moral failures. Disappointment mediated this interaction. These findings enrich the anthropomorphism and brand transgression literature by introducing a role-congruence perspective, and offer practical guidance for brand strategy and crisis management.

Keywords: Anthropomorphism; Brand transgression; Disappointment; Expectation Violation Theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:advbcp:978-94-6239-602-9_29

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DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6239-602-9_29

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