The influence of brand ambassador’s wrongdoing on consumers’ luxury brand desirability: the interplay of attachments, resilience, and empathy

Abstract This study aims to investigate the multifaceted impact of luxury brand ambassador misconduct on consumer attachment and brand desirability. First, it examines how incidents of brand ambassador misconduct influence consumers' attachment to and desire for the luxury brand. Second, it explores the moderating role of consumer resilience in response to negative information and their empathy towards the brand ambassador. Third, it evaluates effective brand strate in response to such incidents, focusing on the interplay of empathy between the brand and its consumers to achieve positive outcomes. Data were collected via self-administered online surveys and analyzed using structural equation modeling in AMOS 26. Results indicate that consumers with stronger attachments to the luxury brand tend to exhibit heightened brand desirability following brand ambassador misconduct. Consumer resilience acts as a mediator in the relationship between attachment and desirability, influenced by their empathy towards the brand ambassador. When consumers express empathy towards the ambassador, aligning with the brand's empathetic response leads to the highest levels of brand desirability. This research pioneers empirical exploration into the relationship between attachment and desirability in luxury brand ambassador misconduct, advancing understanding of brand and consumer dynamics involving empathy and resilience.