So what? We stand by it!

Every teenager learns this cultural technique at some point: if someone insults you harshly, then rejecting or denying it is often the wrong reaction - on the contrary, casually shrugging your shoulders and admitting everything, naturally in a self-deprecating manner, is sometimes the better option. That's what the fans of 1. FC Köln did: in response to the abusive chant "You're just a carnival club", they naturally responded in chorus with "We're just a carnival club" and from then on wore the insult as a badge of honor. Reapprobation, i.e. reinterpreting an insult in order to appear more likeable - is this also possible with brands?

It works, researchers from MIT found out: Their study found that brands that reinterpret unobjective criticism or insults for themselves generate more customer interest as a result than by ignoring, denying or apologizing. In the experiment, various brand reactions to particularly mean customer reviews were tested. Statements such as: "We are a totally outdated store for birdbrains." performed best. The reason: consumers perceive brands that make such criticism their own as more humorous and self-confident.

But before you go plastering the whole town with your one-star ratings, the researchers advise caution: because it doesn't work if the insult comes from a vulnerable person, if the criticism actually seems justified or if it involves serious moral concerns. So if someone from your team is called a sexist and racist on kununu, that's not a good story. And whether the FC is really just a carnival club will be decided at the end of the season.

Here is the link:

https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/when-brands-wear-an-insult-as-a-badge-of-honor