Metafora hubungan konsumen dengan merek telah mendominasi pemikiran pemasaran dan praktek. Meskipun demikian, masih ada keterbatasan penjelasan mengenai fenomena transgression dalam domain produk konsumsi, khususnya di tingkat merek. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh brand transgression terhadap hubungan konsumen dengan merek. Sebagai inspirasi, penelitian ini mengacu pada teori hubungan interpersonal, yang menekankan pada penilaian dari kesalahan dan keseriusan dampak dari brand transgression; serta teori keadilan distributif, yang mempertimbangkan prinsip keadilan dan keseimbangan antara manfaat dan biaya. Selain itu, efek dari kedekatan hubungan konsumen dengan merek juga sangat menarik untuk diteliti, karena potensinya dalam mempengaruhi brand behavioral intention. Penelitian ini dilakukan pada tiga studi eksperimen. Studi pertama meneliti dampak dari brand transgression, brand relationship closeness dan kategori product involvement terhadap brand behavioral intention. Studi kedua meneliti dampak dari brand transgression, brand relationship closeness dan upaya pemulihan apology terhadap brand behavioral intention. Studi ketiga meneliti dampak dari brand scandal, brand relationship closeness dan upaya pemulihan brand recall terhadap brand behavioral intention. Hasil pada semua studi menunjukkan bahwa brand transgression, brand relationship closeness, kategori product involvement dan upaya pemulihan merupakan kunci untuk memahami perbedaan perilaku konsumen pada saat peristiwa brand transgression.

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Although the consumer-brand relationships metaphor dominates contemporary marketing thought and practice, surprisingly little empirical work has been conducted on transgression phenomena in the consumer products domain, particularly at the level of the brand. The aim of this research was to investigate how brand transgression influence consumer relationships with the brand. For inspiration, this research draws on interpersonal relationship theory, which highlights judgments of culpability and seriousness of the brand transgression, and distributive justice theory, which considers the fairness and equity-balance of benefits and costs. Furthermore, the effects of brand relationship closeness also become especially interesting in this regard, due to their potential to influence brand behavioral intention.

This research was conducted on three experiment studies. First study examines the impacts of brand transgression, brand relationship closeness and product involvement on brand behavioral intention. Second study examines the impacts of brand transgression, brand relationship closeness and apology on brand behavioral intention. Third study examines the impacts of brand scandal, brand relationship closeness and brand recall on brand behavioral intention. Across all of these studies, results show that brand transgression type, brand relationship closeness, product involvement and recovery effort are a key construct to understanding the differences in behaviors following brand transgression.