Can Aggressive Humor Pay Off in Brand-to-Brand Dialogues on Social Media?

Abstract

Brands use humor to interact with other brands on social media. Previous research has concluded that brands should favor affiliative humor, while aggressive humor should only be considered under special circumstances. However, this recommendation contradicts real-world evidence of brands achieving significant success through aggressive humor. Drawing on vicarious superiority theory, this article investigates the effects of aggressive humor, introducing the mediating role of feelings of superiority and the moderating roles of self-categorization with the perpetrating brand (SCP) and the targeted brand (SCT). Studies 1A and 1B show that a perpetrating brand elicits equally positive brand attitudes when employing aggressive or affiliative humor toward a targeted brand if customers possess SCP. Study 2 investigates the consequences of aggressive humor for the targeted brand, resulting in two conclusions. First, unlike affiliative humor, aggressive humor prevents customers with SCP from transferring their positive attitudes toward the perpetrating brand to the targeted brand. Second, for customers with SCT, a perpetrating brand's use of aggressive humor encourages less positive attitudes toward the targeted brand. Study 3 explains that aggressive humor makes customers with SCT feel less superior after being exposed to aggressive humor, which they cope with by changing their attitudes toward the targeted brand.