MORALITY & CONSUMPTION

Belief in karma impacts consumers’ responses to misbehaving brands

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2025

People who believe in karma aren’t as concerned about brands’ ‘moral’ transgressions as they are about ‘non-moral’ ones.

Consumers who say they believe in karma are more likely to forgive companies that behave immorally than those who don’t, according to research from West Virginia University in the US.

Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels

Studies conducted by Kylie Vo, Teaching Assistant Professor at the university, demonstrate that when a consumer thinks the universe will right a corporate wrong, that person tends not to harbour negative feelings toward the corporation and probably will refrain from consumer activism like boycotts. 

 

“As consumers grow more informed and socially conscious, digital media and social networks are increasingly motivating moral outrage about brand transgressions,” Vo says. 

 

“Whether the transgressions are ‘moral,’ as in the case of labour malpractice, or ‘non-moral’, as with shoddy manufacturing, they can escalate and severely damage consumer-brand relationships and brand value.” 

 

But Vo found that people who believe in karma aren’t as concerned about brands’ moral transgressions as they are about non-moral ones. 

 

“The phrase ‘You reap what you sow’ encapsulates the cause-and-effect essence of the karmic belief system, in which actions yield corresponding outcomes,” she explains. 

 

When consumers believe karma will punish a bad deed, they’re not motivated to penalise the wrongdoing themselves, Vo notes.  

 

In several studies, she demonstrated that people with stronger karmic beliefs were more forgiving, with fewer negative attitudes toward morally transgressing brands, and were less likely to boycott them. 

 

The study, titled ‘Fate, Forgiveness, and Brands: How Karmic Beliefs Impact Consumer Responses toward Transgressing Brands’, appear in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. 

 

You can find out more here.

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    Dr Kin Kariisa

    Group CEO - Next Media

    Dr. Kin Kariisa is an extraordinary force at the helm of Next Media Services, a conglomerate encompassing NBS TV, Nile Post, Sanyuka TV, Next Radio, Salam TV, Next Communication, Next Productions, and an array of other influential enterprises. His dynamic role as Chief Executive Officer exemplifies his unwavering commitment to shaping media, business, and community landscapes.
    With an esteemed academic journey, Dr. Kariisa’s accolades include an Honorary PhD in exemplary community service from the United Graduate College inTexas, an MBA from United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya, a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Huazong University in China, and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University.
    Dr. Kariisa pursued PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. As a dynamic educator, he has shared his expertise as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at both Makerere University and Radboud University.

    Dr Kin did his PhD research in Computer Security and Identity Management at Security of Systems Group, Radbond University in Nigmegen, Netherlands. He previously served as a lecturer of e-Government and Information Security at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda and Radbond University in Netherlands.

    Dr Kin did his postgraduate courses in Strategic Business Management, Strategic Leadership Communication and Strategies for Leading Successful Change Initiatives at Harvard University, Boston USA.

    • Other current and previous roles played by Dr Kin Kariisa:
    • Lecturer of e-Government and Information Security to graduate students at Makerere University, Kampala and Radbond University in the Netherlands
    • Director of Eco Bank Uganda Limited, one of the largest banks in Africa
    • Chairman of the National Association of Broadcasters, an umbrella industry association for all Television, Radio and online broadcasters in Uganda.
    • Chairman of Board of Directors of Nile Hotel International, that owns the leading hotel in Uganda, Kampala Serena Hotel.
    • Chairman of Board of Directors of Soliton Telmec Uganda, the leading telecom company in Optic fibre business managing over 80% of optic fibre in Uganda.