The number of negative tweets turned out
Posted: Sun May 25, 2025 5:47 am
But to what extent are these negative statements via Twitter actually harmful to a brand? And are consumers actually influenced after seeing negative tweets or do they not care much about it?
Shoot the messenger
By means of an experiment in which consumers (n = 419) were exposed to two or four negative tweets about sandwiches from the fictional brand Het Sandwich Paleis, it was investigated which factors have the greatest impact on consumers' brand trust and on their intention to spread negative messages about the brand.
A to be a crucial factor: consumers who had seen four negative tweets about the brand had significantly lower latvia phone number list trust in the brand than respondents who had seen two negative tweets. The same applies to the intention to spread negative messages about the brand, for example by advising against the brand to friends and family. This intention was significantly higher among consumers who had seen four negative tweets than among respondents who had been exposed to two negative tweets.
This indicates that consumers, just as on online discussion forums and offline with product advertisements, are also guided on Twitter by the number of consumers who have come to a similar conclusion about a brand. The statement that many consumers use in this regard is: 'If many people say it, then it must be true'. In research into persuasive communication, this is also called the consensus rule of thumb. So: the more negative tweets about a brand, the more damaging the effect.
Given the strong negative effect of the number of tweets, it is essential for brands to respond quickly to online complaints via Twitter. This reduces the chance that one negative tweet will lead to a flood of follow-up complaints, thus limiting the damage to the brand.
Shoot the messenger
By means of an experiment in which consumers (n = 419) were exposed to two or four negative tweets about sandwiches from the fictional brand Het Sandwich Paleis, it was investigated which factors have the greatest impact on consumers' brand trust and on their intention to spread negative messages about the brand.
A to be a crucial factor: consumers who had seen four negative tweets about the brand had significantly lower latvia phone number list trust in the brand than respondents who had seen two negative tweets. The same applies to the intention to spread negative messages about the brand, for example by advising against the brand to friends and family. This intention was significantly higher among consumers who had seen four negative tweets than among respondents who had been exposed to two negative tweets.
This indicates that consumers, just as on online discussion forums and offline with product advertisements, are also guided on Twitter by the number of consumers who have come to a similar conclusion about a brand. The statement that many consumers use in this regard is: 'If many people say it, then it must be true'. In research into persuasive communication, this is also called the consensus rule of thumb. So: the more negative tweets about a brand, the more damaging the effect.
Given the strong negative effect of the number of tweets, it is essential for brands to respond quickly to online complaints via Twitter. This reduces the chance that one negative tweet will lead to a flood of follow-up complaints, thus limiting the damage to the brand.