Perceived hypocrisy, brand distance in luxury branding: multidimensional measurement to csr skepticism

Abstract

The study discovers the impact of which factors affect the increase in luxury brand distance, particularly concentrating on hypocrisy perception when its CSR activities are controversial. The theory of disidentification and the theory of social identity indicate the behavior of consumers when a brand is accused of violating its sustainable commitment. Previous studies have demonstrated the positive relationship between consumer skepticism towards CSR activities. The key paper has primarily focused on analyzing consumer dispositional traits as well as skepticism towards advertisements. However, other previous studies mention that consumer skepticism toward CSR also arises from various situational factors. This paper aims to delve deeper into these factors of CSR skepticism and analyze the relationships above them and brand hypocrisy perception. Besides analyzing the impact of perceived brand hypocrisy to brand distance, this paper introduces two constructs that moderate this impact: self-brand connection and desire for exclusivity. These two constructs are measured quantitatively to improve the understanding of the connection between consumers and brands in the luxury industry. The research was conducted by an online and offline survey with 385 participants in Vietnam. The results indicate a significant association between perceived hypocrisy and increased brand distance. This study provides marketing practitioners with a multidimensional measurement of CSR skepticism, enabling them to assess how consumers perceive and respond to brand hypocrisy; as well as recommend how and when a brand should use a CSR as a reactive tactic without suffering public’s backlash and consumers’ avoidance