Consumer relationship fading

Abstract

This paper explores the phenomenon of consumer relationship fading with a series of three adjacent studies. Analyzing two longitudinal behavioral datasets, Study 1 shows that about 1/3 of the relationships could be described as fading. Drawing on prior work in the marriage disaffection literature, Study 2 defines relationship fading for the consumer marketing context as a process of gradual decline in consumers' intention to continue their relationship with a brand, generally manifested in negative feelings towards the brand, diminishing frequency and/or volume of transactions with it, and initiation of switching intentions. It further identifies disillusion, disaffection, and crossroads as three distinct fading stages, and outlines boundary conditions. Study 3 observes relationship fading through a diary study approach and finds attitude movement in both positive and negative directions between the stages. Further, while positive attitudes generally decline over the course of the fading trajectory, negative emotions peak at the penultimate fading stage and then level off at the final, crossroads stage. By defining and analyzing consumer relationship fading, we improve understanding of an under-researched, large segment of consumers.

Negative emotions in consumer brand relationship: A review and future research agenda

“…An FMRI study on consumers' simulated brains showed activations in the brain areas associated with negative emotions when the consumers looked at products of weak and unfamiliar brands, whereas positive emotions were evoked when strong and familiar brands were shown (Esch et al., 2012). Finally, it has been observed that negative emotions peak in a CBR before the relationship eventually fades away (Evanschitzky et al., 2020).…”

Do Customers Pay Attention to Motivations and Switching Costs When They Terminate Their Relationships?

“…Although most researchers and practitioners recognize the value of relationship marketing (RM), the effectiveness of RM can depend on several factors such as prior customer-brand experiences (Fournier, 1998), risk avoidance (Gu et al, 2017), relationship avoidance (Noble and Phillips, 2004;Grégoire et al, 2009;Ashley et al, 2011;Ha and Lee, 2012;Ha, 2015Ha, , 2017, relationship fading (Evanschitzky et al, 2020), or anticonsumption behavior (Lee et al, 2009). This section starts with a summary of prior experiences that are well documented in the relationship marketing literature and subsequently presents a review of research related to digital relationship termination behavior.…”

“…An economic benefit is another example. If relationship maintenance becomes more difficult, users may consider abandoning the relationship (Evanschitzky et al, 2020). In sum, these three loss categories that constitute relationship termination essentially should reflect the important role of personal loss in the relational process.…”

“…As highlighted in Table 1, researchers investigating the relationship fading or termination focus mainly on the impact of cognitive and emotional variables such as expectations, quality perceptions, and negative feelings. Their focus on relationship fading and termination is on attitude movement in positive and negative directions (Evanschitzky et al, 2020). However, little is known about the actual psychological traits that drive relationship termination.…”

All eyes on you: The social audience and hedonic adaptation

“…Hedonic adaptation threatens the consumer experience (Evanschitzky et al, 2020; He, Chen, & Alden, 2016) and usually starts almost immediately after product acquisition (Richins, 2013). Yet, limited work in marketing identifies the factors that moderate this trend.…”