When Co-Branding breaks down: strategic misalignment, symbolic rupture, and consumer resistance

Purpose This study aims to examine how and under what conditions co-branding in collaboration-saturated markets is associated with negative consumer responses. Moving beyond fit- and synergy-based explanations, it theorizes consumer negative agency (CNA) as agentic, tactic-focused resistance toward co-branding episodes. Design/methodology/approach A sequential, multi-method design is used. Study 1 applies grounded, Gioia-based analysis to walking interviews (n = 55), in-depth interviews (n = 12) and netnographic materials (n = 186) from young Chinese consumers in a high-frequency co-branding environment. Study 2 constructs 29 co-branding episode cases and applies fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis and necessary condition analysis to identify degree-based bottlenecks and sufficient configurations associated with high CNA. Findings Study 1 reveals four dimensions underpinning resistance: strategic misalignment, identity and cultural disconnect, emotional and cognitive strain and CNA. Study 2 identifies equifinal, largely conjunctural configurations associated with high CNA: resistance is organized around distinct configurations labeled practical value distortion, conflict of meaning interpretation and emotional experience split, with image erosion also exhibiting a standalone sufficient set relationship with high CNA in one pathway. Research limitations/implications The study reconceptualizes co-branding breakdown as a consumer-interpreted collaboration stream in which governance, pacing, symbolic legitimacy and experiential costs shape resistance. It introduces CNA and provides a configurational framework explaining when co-branding shifts from engagement to backlash, offering actionable guidance for collaboration governance, symbolic coherence and experience design. Practical implications Three operational priorities follow from the configuration logic: brand managers could strengthen collaboration governance with explicit partner screening, reputational due diligence and a documented rationale; implement symbolic legitimacy checks by auditing meaning coherence and image erosion risk before launch; and reduce experiential strain by controlling release density, simplifying menu/interface presentation and aligning promotional claims with product experience. Originality/value The study reframes co-branding breakdown as a consumer-interpreted collaboration stream in which governance, pacing, symbolic legitimacy and experiential costs shape resistance. It conceptualizes CNA as a context-specific form of tactic-focused resistance and provides a configurational framework explaining when co-branding shifts from engagement to backlash, offering evidence-informed guidance for collaboration governance, symbolic coherence and experience design.