BRAND IRRITATION: CASE OF NEGATIVE CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Manish Vishnoei Institute of Management & Development action (IMD) 307-B, Malwa tower, Old Palasia, Indore, MP, India (manishvishnoei@gmail.com) +91-9302833098 and Pushyamitra Joshi Institute of Management & Development action (IMD) 307-B, Malwa tower, Old Palasia, Indore, MP, India (pushya.josh@gmail.com) +91-9926806998

Author responsible for all correspondence: Pushyamitra Joshi

BRAND IRRITATION: CASE OF NEGATIVE CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

Manish Vishnoei, Institute of Management & Development action, India (manishvishnoei@gmail.com) Pushyamitra Joshi, Institute of Management & Development action, India (pushya.josh@gmail.com)

Abstract We have so much talked about the brands, branding, sales & marketing concepts, customer relationship management, customer satisfaction, customer delight and other aspects to improve business performance with increase in number of satisfied customers. Still there are gaps in between company and customers. These gaps are due to customer expectation with the brand and that expectation is not met with the actual brand offerings including other factors, which made customer experience not only negative but at the level of irritation. This customer irritation ultimately turns into Brand Irritation if necessary actions are not taken. In this paper a new concept Brand Irritation in the field of marketing has been discussed. Brand irritation means a negative image created about a particular brand in the mind of a consumer due to their bad experience with the product or service or sales personnel behaviour and it reflects their decision in not buying other product/service of the same brand company or other brands under the same umbrella. In such situations customer behaves negative after listening the name of the brand or products related to the brand or other brands under the same umbrella name. It is a matter of concern for the companies to protect their business interests for the long run. Stiff competition and open market created scope for distinctiveness among the companies. At the same time consumer behaviour is getting complex because of choice among products and services. If any company fails to keep the promise or lack in business sense; consumer deny the brand immediately. It has been found that Brand Irritation is the highest degree of customer dissatisfaction. Keywords: Branding, Brand irritation, Consumer behaviour, Brand irritation model, Customer dissatisfaction, Degree of brand irritation Introduction: Once bitten, twice shy, this proverb exactly suit to the term brand irritation. The term brand irritation defines the degree of consumer dissatisfaction turned irritation towards a particular brand and other brands in the portfolio and how it negatively affects the brand as a whole. It also discusses the various factors responsible for customer dissatisfaction turned into brand irritation. It involves the study of brand recognition, consumer behaviour and other factors like marketing and promotional factors to understand the concept. Brand irritation occurs due to two major factors and affects the brand performance negatively. These factors are:
1. Wrong strategic moves (From top management perspective): Wrong strategic move means when top management loses its focus by

neglecting mission statement (Purpose of existence) and customers need. These two major factors are behind creating positive brand image of any company. Company focus only in making profit by any means and start losing its focus; which creates a communication gap in between company and customers. This gap widens and ultimately customer irritation turned into brand irritation.

2. Intentional mistakes done by workforce (Lower management perspective): When workforce especially sales force at lower

management is over ambitious to complete the sales target by misguiding customers or workforce is less committed to solve the problem of customers, create a negative image of the company or brand. These two factors are the major factors which again divided into various sub factors. Definitions: Brand irritation means a negative image created about a particular brand in the mind of a consumer due to their bad experience with the product or service or sales personnel behaviour and it reflects their decision in not buying other product/service of the same brand company or other brands under the umbrella. Brand irritation means negative value in the process of customer behaviour not only from the external customers point of view but it also includes the internal customers i.e. channel partners "The extent of the disbelief of consumers to a particular brand, expressed through their non-purchasing decision for all the products of that particular brand." Due to fake commitments from the sales personal with poor customer care services made customer experience turned into customer irritation and ultimately brand irritation. Factors or causes behind brand irritation:
Brand irritation (Top management Perspective)

Outsourced customer care

Avoiding customer needs

Unfair strategic moves

1. Outsourced/ No customer care: Outsourced customer care or no customer care is one of the leading factor behind the customer

irritation. Outsourced customer care is unable to provide the expected information and solution to the immediate problem faced by the customer caused irritation. Sometimes customer feels that it is just a formality from the part of the company to engage customer not to solve the problem.
2. Avoiding customer needs: It is one of the biggest mistakes sometimes done by top management by creating marketing myopia. Top

management unable to understand the needs of customers and trying to apply their feelings and biased opinion in business. It again creates a gap in between company and customer. Offering poor product mix, overpriced products, poor after sales service etc. are some examples behind customer irritation.
3. Unfair strategic moves: Sometimes top management of the company apply some unfair means to increase revenue by misleading

customers through ambiguous messages. It is one of the most concerned areas where customers get irritated easily. Very stringent operation processes, unethical advertisements, hidden cost and charges are some of the examples.
Brand irritation (Lower management perspective)

Mis-selling/Hiding of information

Lack of commitments

Poor after sales service

1. Mis-selling/Hiding information: Mis guide to customers about product and services provided by the company or hiding

important information is one of the important factors behind the brand irritation faced by the customers.
2. Lack of commitment of sales personnel: Lack of sincere efforts from the sales personnel to provide proper services to its

customers. It shows the lack of commitment of the sales personnel towards its job and becomes another factor behind brand irritation.
3. Poor after sales service: Poor after sales service is another factor behind brand irritation where companys employee is unable

to provide proper after sales service or replacement of the product to its customers.

Good
Consumers expectation with the product/service created through various promotional tools

Satisfaction

Ok (May or may not purchase again)

Good (May purchase again if no better alternative is available) Excellent (Case of customer delight. Purchase again and again and become brand loyal)

P urchase

Post purchase experience

Bad

Dissatisfaction

Complex Brand irritation process model

No communication

Post purchase communication & action

Problem solved

Re communication

A case of mis-sell

Poor response or no response from company

Action

Legal May not buy any brand under the umbrella May not buy that brand again
No support from company

Spread negative information and suggest others to not buy

Brand Irritation

Complex brand irritation process: It is not a one-time process but after getting multiple negative responses from a particular brand or company it turns into brand irritation. In this model we have tried to show how brand irritation comes into existence in marketing and sales environment due to various factors already discussed above. Brand irritation process model helps us to understand the brand irritation concept. It talks about the various situations created after selling of a product or service to the customers. It explains various situations where customer gets irritated due to repetition of the mistakes done by the company. Process starts from the customers expectation from the product/service before buying it. Customer purchases the product with its prepurchase perception and expectation. After buying the product/service customer experienced it in two ways: 1. Good experience brings satisfaction 2. Bad experience brings dissatisfaction Now in case of good experience customer feels three conditions which decide the satisfaction level of the customer with the product or service. If he feels product is Ok then repurchase depends upon his aspirations and use. If he feels Good about the product he will purchase that product again if no better alternative in terms of price and use is available in the market. If he feels Excellent about the product he will definitely purchase the product again and again and also suggest it to his peer group. In case of bad experience customer get dissatisfied due to different condition and he behaves in certain ways. In first case first situation dissatisfied customer do not communicate anything to the company and stop buying product and services of the brand. In second situation stop buying any brand under umbrella of the company. In second case first situation customer recommunicates the problem to the company. If problem solved instantly customer get satisfied. In second situation customer comes to know that he has been cheated by the company or personnel. Various factors behind this situation are mis-sell, poor after sales service, hiding of important information and hidden cost. In this situation either customer get irritated and stop buying product or take legal action against company. In these situations ultimately customers get dissatisfied and improper handling of his complaint will get him irritated. This customer irritation ultimately turns into brand irritation.

Intervention of factors in the process of consumer decision making process

Above the line factor (Communicate attributes about product) Advertisement (Internet, print media, electronic media) Promotional activities

Satisfaction

Need recognition

Information search (Looking for some attributes in product)

Influence to purchase
Evaluation of alternatives Purchase decision Post purchase behaviour
Difference in communicated attributes than actual

Influence to purchase
Below the line factor (Communicate attributes about product) Direct sales Telesales

Dissatisfaction

Brand Irritation

In the above model we have discussed about the intervention of below the line and above the line factors in the process of consumer decision making process and how dissatisfaction lead to the brand irritation. Consumer decision process starts with need recognition and then customer search for the different products or services to satisfy his/her needs. Here customer actually looking for the perceived attributes in the desired product. After getting the various options; customer influenced with the various above the line factors (Advertisements, events etc.) and below the line factors (direct sales, telesales etc.) in evaluation of alternatives available to him. After getting influenced with the best communicated attributes of the product/service of a particular brand; customer made the purchase decision. After purchasing the product/service, if customers perceived attributes matches with the actual attributes what it were communicated ends post purchase behaviour with satisfaction. If perceived attributes does not matches with the actual attributes what it were communicated ends post purchase behaviour with dissatisfaction. If dissatisfaction continues with the repeated betrayal of promised attributes and services (After sales services) it leads to brand irritation. Case Example Short term business
One fine day Mr Pushpendra a newly recruited Unit sales manager of reputed general insurance company ACCI, was discussing with his boss Mr Anshul Kumar about new business development. Mr Anshul (State head) giving instructions to Pushpendra for channel development strategies that he should first start contacting two wheeler distributors because car dealers and commercial vehicle dealers are already contacted by another Unit sales manager Mr Vignesh. There is a huge potential lies with two wheelers dealers in terms of number of policies and add on products. Keeping in mind that channel business required proper attention, relationship management and constant follow-ups Pushpendra started mapping the potential distributors to start new business. After identifying and mapping he comes to know that only one two wheeler dealer named Zala motors, a very reputed dealer of Nagda town is not doing business with the company. He immediately approached to the office of Zala motors to meet with the owner to start business with his company. After reaching to the showroom he just gave his visiting card to the receptionist to let Mr Zala know that he wanted to meet him. After seeing the card of Pushpendra receptionist told him that Mr Zala is not interested in meeting with him. Pushpendra got shocked and thinking that what the hell is this? Is his name does not soothing to the receptionist or is there something wrong written in the visiting card? After controlling his thought process he just asked gently Maam Is there anything wrong with my name or visiting card? Receptionist replied Yes, Mr Pushpendra our boss has given us strict instructions that not to entertain any person from ACCI Bank. Pushpendra: But maam I am from ACCI general insurance company not from the bank. Receptionist: Whatever it may be sir, our boss instructed not to entertain ACCI Company as a whole.

With this shock Pushpendra left the premises of Zala motors and started searching the clue that what happened with him? Why Mr Zala is having this much irritation with the name ACCI? Pushpendra started enquiring about the reasons behind the irritation of Mr Zala. He comes to know that before his joining one sales officer Rajesh was handling the channel business of Zala motors for ACCI general insurance. Rajesh has to coordinate with the account department of Zala motors for the collection of premium amount and also provide insurance cover note to the customers; who are purchasing vehicles from Zala motors. Company has provided manual cover notebook to the Rajesh, with the help of that Rajesh immediately provide insurance cover note to the customers. Rajesh collected premium amount in cash from the accountant and then make its DD to send it to the branch office, Indore. After sometime Rajesh comes up with the official letterhead of company on which it was written that company has opened its bank account in Nagda, so for fast processing of cover note and policy deposit cash into the bank account or handover it to the concerned sales person. Accountant chooses second option because of good relation with Rajesh and to avoid burden. After fifteen days of this incident Rajesh absconded with 1.5 lakh rupees of the Zala motors. After inquiring Mr Zala comes to know that the letter provided by Rajesh was false and ran away with that money. Mr Zala now faced a very critical problem that cover note issued by Rajesh were not valid due to non-payment of insurance premium to the company. Mr Zala requested to the branch office in Indore to look into the matter and compensate his loss due to mistake of the employee of the company. Branch manager at Indore replied that whatever happened, just forget that moment and start new business with the company. It really irritated Mr Zala that instead of solving his problem; Branch manager is not even considering his problem. After this incident whomsoever sales personnel met Mr Zala with business proposal, Mr Zala asked them all to first solve his problem with their company; none of them ever came back to him. After this incident Mr Zala decided not to entertain a single ACCI group company for business at any cost. Mr. Pushpendra also felt the same situation what his previous colleagues experienced the negative impact of brand irritation on business.

Process/Degree of brand irritation

Low degree

Medium degree

High degree

(Customer dislike)

(Customer dissatisfaction)

(Customer irritation/Brand irritation)

First degree (Customer dislike/annoyance): In first stage or degree of brand irritation; customer gets annoyed due to bad quality or other negative factors, but do not react. Second degree (Customer dissatisfaction): In second stage or degree of brand irritation customer get dissatisfied because of his second time bad experience and reacts when someone asks them about the product of the brand. Customer is dissatisfied with the product of a brand only not brand as whole. Third degree (Brand Irritation): In the third stage or degree of brand irritation, customers react by themselves and say others not to purchase the products of that brand. Customer loses confidence on whole brand. Person become opposite to the concept of brand advocate Conclusion: In todays scenario customers have many options available in the market to satisfy their needs, so it is very crucial for the companies to provide not only better products and services but also take care of the various factors associated with pre-purchase and post purchase communication. When expectations of customer does not match with the actual attributes due to difference in between communicated and actual attributes; customer get dissatisfied. This situation occurs due to over aggressiveness of sales force to complete the sales target by providing false information about the product to the customer. In this situation customer get suffer. When issues do not get resolved, by the company customer decide not to buy the same brand next time or any brand under the umbrella is a case of brand irritation. Brand irritation is nothing but shows the high degree of customer irritation towards the brand name by a customer due to his/her bad experience associated with that particular brand. Person become opposite to brand advocate.

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