Exogenous brand crises: brand infection and contamination

Although there is an established literature regarding brand transgressions, Covid-19 has highlighted the need to better understand exogenously created brand crises. We introduce, define, and distinguish between two types of crises that emanate from exogenous, offending brands and the broader marketplace—brand infection and brand contamination. We further present future research ideas that can provide insights into the prevention, mitigation, and recovery strategies that firms can employ to address exogenously created brand crises.