On New Year’s Eve in 2019, an incident involving a Domino’s Pizza delivery worker in the heart of New York City’s Times Square captured widespread attention for an unexpected reason. The employee sold pizzas at a price point of $30 each—double the typical rate customers were accustomed to. While initial reactions from city officials, including the mayor, were sharply critical, saying the chain engaged in price gouging, a significant wave of consumers swiftly rallied in defense of the brand. These customers contended that the price reflected the extraordinary difficulty of delivering in the dense and chaotic atmosphere of Times Square during the massive New Year’s celebration, highlighting a nuanced understanding often lost in public outcry.
This episode brought to light a fascinating and perhaps underappreciated phenomenon in consumer-brand interactions in the digital age: online brand defenders. Wayne Hoyer, a professor of marketing at Texas McCombs and an eminent authority on consumer behavior, identifies these defenders as a critical asset for companies navigating the turbulent waters of social media criticism. Brand defenders are those consumers who actively step up to counter negative narratives about their preferred brands, often engaging in public discourse online to protect reputations. Their role is especially relevant in an era where brand perceptions can be dramatically shaped—or shattered—by viral content.
Hoyer emphasizes that the relationship between brands and consumers today is distinctly interactive, marked by bidirectional communication rather than mere passive purchasing behavior. Consumers no longer silently absorb brand messages; instead, they create content, respond to critiques, and become partial custodians of brand reputation. This dynamic opens new strategic avenues for companies to harness the protective instincts of their customers, transforming them into allies who intensify the brand’s social legitimacy and help neutralize negative feedback.
In a pioneering study co-conducted with researchers from the University of Bern in Switzerland, including Clemens Ammann, Andrea Giuffredi-Kähr, Bettina Nyffenegger, and Harley Krohmer, Hoyer systematically quantified the prevalence and motivations of online brand defenders. The team analyzed social media interactions across a three-month window, focusing specifically on comments posted to the Facebook pages of eight major U.S. brands. Their quantitative review revealed that approximately one in every twenty comments was a defense against disparagement, underscoring a notable presence of brand advocacy within everyday social media engagement. Interestingly, this percentage varied significantly among brands, with Tesla eliciting defenses in about 10% of comments, whereas AT&T had a much lower rate of just 1%.
Beyond establishing the frequency of these defending behaviors, the research delved into the psychological drivers differentiating defenders into three major categories, each propelled by unique motivations. This typology was constructed through a combination of qualitative interviews and a large-scale survey involving 570 participants who had recently defended brands in online settings. Cluster analysis identified three distinct personas among defenders: brand promoters, justice promoters, and self-promoters, each representing a nuanced pattern of engagement and rationale.
Brand promoters are arguably the most emotionally invested group, characterized by a deep attachment to the brand and high satisfaction levels. Their defense actions stem largely from altruistic motives—they view attacks on the brand as personal affronts and are driven by a genuine desire to give back to a brand they cherish. Hoyer explains that these promoters experience a strong emotional connection and defend the brand as a form of personal expression. For marketers, fostering this group involves recognizing and appreciating their loyalty in subtle but meaningful ways to reinforce their commitment and encourage continued advocacy.
Justice promoters, contrastingly, do not share the same emotional ties to a brand. Their primary impetus is a principled sense of fairness and justice. These defenders perceive some brand criticisms as unwarranted or misrepresentative and act to restore what they believe to be ethical balance. Since their motivation is less about affection and more about correcting perceived wrongs, engaging this cohort demands a different approach—one that appeals to fairness and equity rather than emotional bonding. Marketing strategies aiming at this segment must emphasize honesty, transparency, and the brand’s adherence to fairness.
Lastly, self-promoters represent a segment less connected to the brand itself and more attuned to the social capital they can gain by voicing support. Their online activity is often a quest for personal recognition and enhanced social media stature. Defending a brand publicly allows them to garner likes, followers, and positive attention, reinforcing their online persona. Hoyer points out that their motivation is self-centric; they leverage brand defense as a platform to promote themselves rather than the brand. This presents unique challenges for companies wishing to engage self-promoters in authentic advocacy without compromising the credibility of their customer base.
The study also suggests practical measures companies can take to activate and sustain the involvement of these diverse defender types. Personalized approaches such as private thank-you messages and subtle acknowledgments in the form of comment likes or badges in online gamification systems are recommended. These low-key forms of recognition can effectively motivate supporters while preserving the authenticity of the defenders’ voices. The research cautions, however, against overt or public endorsements of brand defenders, warning that such tactics may backfire by making consumers appear as paid representatives and thus diminishing their persuasive credibility.
In a social media landscape increasingly fraught with negative reviews and viral complaints, the role of online brand defenders emerges as a sophisticated and powerful counterbalance. The findings of Hoyer and his collaborators elucidate the complex psychology behind these defenders and provide a strategic framework for businesses wishing to cultivate and nurture this valuable ally group. Their typology offers a roadmap for tailored engagement, ensuring that efforts to activate brand advocacy resonate authentically with the backers’ underlying motivations.
The implications of this research extend beyond consumer-brand relationships into broader conversations about digital communication, social influence, and reputation management. As brands become integral players in ongoing dialogues mediated by social platforms, understanding the dynamics of online defense mechanisms becomes imperative. By recognizing and leveraging the differentiated motives of brand defenders, corporations can adopt more nuanced and effective public relations strategies, ultimately fostering stronger brand resilience in an age of rapid information exchange.
“Beyond Strong Bonds: A Typology of and Motivational Insights into Online Brand Defenders,” the study by Hoyer and his team, published in the Journal of Interactive Marketing, offers a seminal contribution to marketing science. It not only highlights the multifaceted roles consumers play in brand narratives but also provides actionable guidance for leveraging these roles in contemporary marketing ecosystems. As brands navigate the complexities of digital environments, this research underscores the importance of cultivating genuine, motivated brand defenders to safeguard and enhance their reputations.
Subject of Research: Online brand defenders and their motivational typology in consumer-brand interaction on social media platforms.
Article Title: Beyond Strong Bonds: A Typology of and Motivational Insights into Online Brand Defenders
News Publication Date: August 1, 2025
Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10949968251320615
References: Hoyer, W., Ammann, C., Giuffredi-Kähr, A., Nyffenegger, B., & Krohmer, H. (2025). Beyond Strong Bonds: A Typology of and Motivational Insights into Online Brand Defenders. Journal of Interactive Marketing. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10949968251320615
Keywords: Marketing, Business, Corporations, Marketing research, Advertising, Social media, Public relations, Mass media
