Fate, Forgiveness, and Brands: How Karmic Beliefs Impact Consumer Responses toward Transgressing Brands

Khue (Kylie) Vo and Yuna Choe

Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2025, vol. 10, issue 1, 24 - 35

Abstract: Exploring the interplay between morality-related belief systems and consumer behavior, this research investigates the impact of karma beliefs on responses to brand transgressions. A set of five (and two supplemental) studies show that consumers with stronger (vs. weaker) karmic beliefs exhibit greater forgiveness when faced with moral brand transgressions. This increased forgiveness leads to less negative attitudes and a lower likelihood to withhold purchases from transgressing brands. Notably, the consequence of karmic beliefs pertains only to moral transgressions and does not extend to nonmoral transgressions. These findings contribute to the expanding understanding of how cultural and philosophical beliefs shape consumer morality and behavior.

Date: 2025
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