Specific Counter-Conditioning of Brand Attitudes

In this study we examine emotional counter-conditioning as a technique to improve brand attitudes tainted by negative emotional associations. We introduce the concept of specific counter-emotions: emotions opposite in valence but similar in appraisal structure. We propose that a negative brand attitude can be more effectively improved by pairing the brand with a specific counter-emotion (specific counter-conditioning) rather than a generic positive emotion (nonspecific counter-conditioning). In an experiment brands were first conditioned with a negative emotion and then counter-conditioned with either a specific or a nonspecific counter-emotion. Subsequently, participants judged how similar the brands felt emotionally. We used multi-dimensional scaling and rotation to identify the underlying dimensions of emotional brand associations. The results confirmed the predicted superiority of specific counter-emotions as antidotes to negative brand attitudes. Specific negative counter-emotions also deteriorated positive brand attitudes more effectively. A theoretical implication is that meaning beyond valence and arousal is learned during emotional conditioning.