Psychometric properties, measurement invariance, and construct validity of the Italian version of the brand hate short scale (BHS)

Brand hate can be defined as the consumer's dissatisfaction with the product or service performance. The consumer's hatred of the brand is related to the desire for revenge and avoidance. This kind of emotion does not remain only a desire; it is often transformed into real actions that lead to consumer behavior. Although the analysis of the literature provides useful insights and interesting suggestions about the phenomenon of brand hate, to date, very few studies and scales that are capable of measuring this phenomenon have been developed, especially in the Italian context. The present work investigated the psychometric properties of an Italian adaptation of the BHSs (N = 422) with the aim of verifying the same factor structure found in the original German version. Results confirmed a one-factor structure (first order, 6 items). Moreover, the scale was found to be invariant across gender. This suggests that companies must first have adequate systems and mechanisms in place to understand the reasons that drive consumers to hate the brand and implement recovery strategies to address this hatred. The achievement of sustainability or failure to do so can add to or detract from a brand's value in the marketplace.