The genesis of brand hate and consumer avoidance behavior: A cross-cultural qualitative analysis in Palestine, Greece, and Bulgaria

This study investigates the antecedents, emotional forms, and behavioral consequences of brand hate across three distinct cultural contexts: Palestine, Greece, and Bulgaria. Drawing on 450 qualitative consumer narratives and employing thematic analysis, the research identifies four interrelated drivers of brand hate: (1) ideological, religious, and geopolitical animosity; (2) corporate deception, service betrayal, and monopolistic abuse; (3) functional failure and price-quality asymmetry; and (4) health anxieties, ethical concerns, and economic ethnocentrism. The findings reveal marked cross-cultural variation. In Palestine, brand hate is predominantly value-laden, tied to religious identity and political resistance against brands associated with Denmark, Israel, and the United States. In Greece, brand hate reflects the legacies of austerity, corporate disinvestment, and economic nationalism. In Bulgaria, hostility is driven primarily by deceptive contracts, poor service recovery, perceived monopoly power, and frustration with overpriced products. Across all contexts, global fast-food and FMCG brands evoke strong disgust rooted in health and ethical concerns. This study advances a culturally grounded account of brand hate that integrates brand avoidance, consumer animosity, and political consumerism. It offers critical implications for multinational firms operating in settings where brand meaning is inseparable from local histories of conflict, crisis, and economic transition.