Exploring organisational use of negative emotions on Facebook and their effect on brand perceptions

Dinnage, Mark James (2018). Exploring organisational use of negative emotions on Facebook and their effect on brand perceptions. University of Birmingham. M.Sc.

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Abstract

This study explores the use of negative emotions on social media by organisations, with the main purpose being to discover how consumers perceive the content. Research in the past has focused on advertising, with little attempt made to understand the response to negative emotions on social media. This study used a multi-method qualitative approach with an interpretive paradigm. First, five online observations were made from real companies on Facebook, finding what sort of reaction these type of emotions evoked. Next were sixteen 1-to-1 interviews where participants viewed mock Facebook pages, one containing posts with negative emotions and one containing solely positive posts. The findings show the consumer has complex and varied reactions to negative emotions on social media. Often, they see benefits such as the posts grabbing their attention and creating an emotional connection. But they also react negatively - not wanting to see the post on their own Facebook newsfeed. There was also a general mistrust of marketing - participants expected companies to use unethical marketing techniques. The study concludes that using negative emotions on Facebook can have some benefits, with these however being greatly outweighed by the potential to leave consumers with a negative perception of the brand.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Masters by Research > M.Sc.)

Award Type:

Masters by Research > M.Sc.

Supervisor(s):