Consumer responses to performance failures by high-equity brands

Two experiments explore conditions that mitigate negative customer reactions to high-equity brand failures. Results indicate that such brands fare best when responses are timed immediately after the failure and when the failure is severe or there is substantial distraction present in the environment. When any of these conditions are absent, high-equity brand evaluations appear to be adversely affected by a performance lapse. Implications, particularly for service brands, are discussed.