On the relationship between brand scandal and consumer attitudes: A literature review and research agenda

A brand scandal impacts not just the brand, but also different stakeholders in the society. However, there is not enough literature in the domain of brand scandals and consumers’ attitudes. This thematic literature review provides a holistic view of previous studies related to the relationship between brand scandal and consumer attitudes. The present literature review is confined to journals covering 40 years’ of research, that is, articles published from 1980 to 2020. The present study’s theoretical description follows the antecedents, decisions and outcomes (ADO) framework. This study attempts to theorize the antecedents and outcomes of brand scandal in shaping consumers’ attitudes towards scandalized brands. Along with identifying and theorizing antecedents of brand scandal, this literature review identifies the behavioural outcomes of consumers' attitudes towards brand scandal. It also comments on retailers’ moderating role and the mediating effect of corporate action on the same. Moreover, it posits that media amplification influences consumers’ behaviour during the brand scandal. The review concludes the discussion with theoretical and managerial implications and directions for future research using the Theory, Context, Characteristics and Methodology (TCCM) framework. The conceptual model proposed here may be empirically tested to validate the theoretical framework, which may help academic researchers understand the impact of the brand scandal on consumer attitudes. The review makes significant contributions to the field by providing practical guidelines to marketers. They can examine and address the sequences of events during the brand scandal in a productive manner. The theoretical model may serve as a foundation by which companies can shape effective scandal response strategies. The study instils marketers to plan and execute scandal response strategies concerning retailers and the media’s role to mitigate a brand scandal’s impact on consumer attitudes. It also provides insights for marketers to take corrective action and rebuild their brand’s reputation by catering to consumer’s behavioural outcomes in the event of a scandal.