The chopsticks debacle : how brand hate flattened Dolce & Gabbana in China

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the development of brand hate based on the case of Italian luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabbana in China. Design/methodology/approach: The strategy adopted in this study is a single in-depth case study. Qualitative methods are applied in both the data collection and analysis. Findings: The findings identified six distinct stages through which brand hate can develop: awareness, anger, amplification, antagonism, action and apathy. Research limitations/implications: The case is specific to a luxury brand and the Chinese cultural context. Practical implications: Practitioners need to consider how business strategies can be adapted to manage the six stages of the manifestation of brand hate. A “proactive” approach is needed to avoid arousing brand hate, while a “reactive” approach is needed to manage its potential ramifications. Originality/value: There has been a paucity of anti-consumption research within the business strategy literature. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the focus on China makes this the first study to investigate brand hate within a Chinese cultural context.