Buffering transgressions: role of anthropomorphism, attachment orientations and brand role in shaping advocacy intentions

Purpose This study aims to examine the role of anthropomorphism in mitigating the effects of brand transgression from the perspectives of attachment theory and role theory. It also investigates the underlying mechanism of brand attachment orientations (secure and dismissive) and boundary conditions of brand role (partner vs servant) in these relationships. Design/methodology/approach Three experiments were conducted to test the proposed relationships. Study 1 examined how anthropomorphizing brands influences advocacy intentions. Study 2 explored the underlying mechanisms of secure and dismissive brand attachment orientations. Study 3 investigated the boundary condition of brand role. Findings The findings suggest that advocacy intentions are higher for anthropomorphized brands compared to non-anthropomorphized brands following a transgression. Secure brand attachment orientation explains the relationships between brand anthropomorphism and advocacy intentions. For non-anthropomorphized brands, using a partner role framing leads to higher advocacy intentions compared to using a servant role framing. For anthropomorphized brands, no significant difference in advocacy intentions was found between servant and partner roles. Originality/value This study offers novel insights by integrating the literature on brand anthropomorphism, attachment orientations and brand role in the context of brand transgression. While previous studies have predominantly examined brand anthropomorphism in positive contexts, there is limited research about its effectiveness in negative contexts, such as brand transgression. The brand transgression literature calls for research on the role of relational mechanisms in managing negative outcomes. This study addresses these calls for research by adopting a relational mechanism, using brand attachment orientations and brand role, to show that brand anthropomorphism mitigates the negative outcomes of brand transgression through secure brand attachment orientations. Furthermore, a partner role helps manage consumer advocacy for non-anthropomorphized brands after a transgression.