When something bad happens to a company, to a brand, does that misfortune contribute to brand loyalty? This is the question we were asking ourselves here at Massive Impressions Online Marketing. We know that people use brands  to express themselves. Brand loyalty is sometimes displayed as a token to define identity. But what happens when something bad happens to a brand, a venue, a property, or just even a single store? Does that make better brand loyalty or do people disassociate from the brand as a result? We have to know.

Does misfortune make better brand loyalty? Does it make it worse?

What happens when a brand is victimized? Does it help the brand or hurt it? Does it cause a bump in loyalty or a dip in loyalty? Is the awareness gained around the publicity of a negative event beneficial or does it somehow tarnish the brand?

What do YOU think about misfortune striking the businesses and brands you have to choose from?

These are some interesting questions to think about, whether publicized misfortune contributes to a brand’s loyalty, either long term or short term.  That’s why we thought it’s an interesting question to pose. Thinking about it on an abstract level is one thing, but let’s consider some specific examples.