Consumer Forgiveness in Brand Crises: The Moderating Role of Brand Loyalty and Attribution Dynamics

Guangcheng Zhu

2025

Abstract

This study investigates the dynamic influence mechanisms of consumer attributions and brand loyalty based on forgiveness intentions following brand scandals, grounded in attribution theory. Through quantitative analysis of 121 valid questionnaires, the findings reveal that: (1) Consumers’ attribution levels toward scandals significantly inhibit forgiveness intentions. (2) Brand loyalty demonstrates a notable moderating role, with highly loyal consumers mitigating the negative impact of attributions. The research proposes a dual-path strategy for brand crisis management: For high-attribution responsibility scandals, priority should be given to activating emotional bonds with loyal customers through value system realignment and exclusive care initiatives. It recommends establishing a big data-driven loyalty tiered response mechanism that enhances emotional restoration via historical narratives and founder endorsements. While addressing the research gap regarding moderating mechanisms of attribution theory in brand crisis contexts, this study acknowledges limitations in cross-sectional data and self-report methodologies. Future investigations could enrich experimental approaches by incorporating scenario-based experiments and grouped analyses, employing neuroscientific experiments to track forgiveness dynamic processes, and exploring the digital distortion effects of social media public sentiment on attribution judgments.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Zhu G. (2025). Consumer Forgiveness in Brand Crises: The Moderating Role of Brand Loyalty and Attribution Dynamics. In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on E-commerce and Modern Logistics - Volume 1: ICEML; ISBN 978-989-758-775-7, SciTePress, pages 302-309. DOI: 10.5220/0013843100004719

in Bibtex Style

@conference{iceml25,
author={Guangcheng Zhu},
title={Consumer Forgiveness in Brand Crises: The Moderating Role of Brand Loyalty and Attribution Dynamics},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on E-commerce and Modern Logistics - Volume 1: ICEML},
year={2025},
pages={302-309},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0013843100004719},
isbn={978-989-758-775-7},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on E-commerce and Modern Logistics - Volume 1: ICEML
TI - Consumer Forgiveness in Brand Crises: The Moderating Role of Brand Loyalty and Attribution Dynamics
SN - 978-989-758-775-7
AU - Zhu G.
PY - 2025
SP - 302
EP - 309
DO - 10.5220/0013843100004719
PB - SciTePress