Brands’ negative word of mouth (NWOM) generated by their unsatisfied consumers is increasingly transmitted by fans of competing brands. Although extant research has examined the generation of NWOM because of consumers’ negative consumption experience, little is known about the role of fans of rival brands in spreading NWOM of a focal brand and how the focal brand can mitigate this rival NWOM transmission. This research aims to investigate why fans who highly identify with rival brands are willing to transmit the focal brands’ NWOM and how the focal brand can mitigate the NWOM transmission. Through four studies comprising two surveys and two experiments, this article shows that consumers’ identification with rival brands leads to the NWOM transmission of focal brands, and that schadenfreude mediates the effect. Furthermore, NWOM transmission can be attenuated when the focal brand has responded to the original NWOM in an empathic way. This study enriches the word-of-mouth literature and offers important managerial implications.

中文翻译：

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煽风点火：传播竞争对手品牌的负面口碑

品牌因消费者不满意而产生的负面口碑（NWOM）越来越多地通过竞争品牌的粉丝传播。尽管现有的研究已经考察了由于消费者负面消费体验而产生的NWOM，但对于竞争对手品牌的粉丝在传播焦点品牌的NWOM中的作用以及焦点品牌如何减轻竞争对手的NWOM传播知之甚少。本研究旨在调查为何高度认同竞争对手品牌的粉丝愿意传播焦点品牌的新口碑，以及焦点品牌如何减轻新口碑的传播。本文通过四项研究（包括两项调查和两项实验）表明，消费者对竞争对手品牌的认同会导致焦点品牌的 NWOM 传播，而幸灾乐祸会介导这种效应。此外，当焦点品牌以同理心方式回应原始 NWOM 时，NWOM 传播可能会减弱。这项研究丰富了口碑文献并提供了重要的管理启示。