When Learning Negative Brand Associations Leads to Positive Evaluations of Effectiveness.

This article investigates how consumers’ brand preferences influenced by evaluative conditioning—where brands are paired with positively or negatively valenced stimuli—can be reversed depending on the consumer’s active mindset. Specifically, it introduces the concept of an instrumentality mindset, wherein consumers focus on the effectiveness or usefulness of a product, leading negatively-valenced brand associations (e.g., unpleasant images) to be perceived as more desirable due to a bidirectional association between unpleasantness and instrumentality. Across five studies involving different products (multivitamins, entertainment apps, news apps) and contexts (laboratory and field settings), the research demonstrates that when consumers evaluate brands based on instrumentality, negatively associated brands gain preference, while positively associated brands may lose appeal. These findings challenge conventional marketing wisdom that brands should always be paired with positive stimuli and suggest that brand positioning emphasizing effectiveness may benefit from incorporating less positive or even negative associations, especially in contexts where consumers adopt an instrumentality mindset.