What is brandjacking? Origin, conceptualization and effects of perceived dimensions of truth, mockery and offensiveness

Abstract

This paper defines brandjacking as an anti-commercial parody of an ad that sabotages and re-appropriates that ad's message out of its original context to unravel important truths and concerns about the brand. This is the first scholarly research that conceptualizes and coins the term brandjacking. It examines the effects of truth, mockery and offensiveness in brandjacking on attitudes toward the brand, skepticism, and intentions toward such brandjacked stimuli. Results from hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrate that even though consumers pardon a brand from its mockery in a brandjacked stimulus, the perceived dimensions of offensiveness and truth about the brand damage the brand so as to adversely impact brand attitudes. While truth about the brand in the brandjacked stimulus hurts the brand because it attempts to demystify and debunk brand claims, it helps the audience elicit a favorable attitude toward the stimulus itself and intentions to pass it along to others.

Keywords:

• Brandjacking
• brand activism
• hierarchical multiple regression analyses
• mockery
• the Streisand effect

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sweta Chaturvedi Thota

Sweta Chaturvedi Thota is an Associate Professor of Marketing at the School of Management, University of San Francisco. She received her PhD from the Louisiana State University. Her research focuses on consumer behavior with particular emphasis on emotional and psychological responses to various issues such as the effects of social media on brands and psychological effects of prices. Her papers have been published in journals such as Journal of Advertising, Journal of Consumer Psychology, International Journal of Advertising and Journal of Consumer Marketing.