Abstract

Apologies are crucial components of brand recovery after brand crises, yet the role of the apology components and apologizer's gender and status in shaping consumer responses remains understudied. This thesis aims to contribute to the existing literature on brand crises and apology effectiveness by investigating the impact of apology components (i.e., acknowledgment, remorse, compensation) and apology source (i.e., gender and status of the apologizer) on consumer recovery, with a focus on post-crisis trust and brand equity. Additionally, the study explores the mediating roles of perceived accountability, authenticity, and fairness in this relationship. The research involved an experiment with a 3 (apology component: acknowledgment, remorse, compensation) × 2 (gender of apologizer: male vs. female) × 2 (status of apologizer: CEO vs. employee) between-subject design where participants were exposed to a fictitious brand crisis news article and imagined themselves as affected consumers. Despite non-significant results, the study contributes theoretical insights into the complex interplay between apology components, source, and post-crisis outcomes. Trends in the data suggest potential relationships that warrant further exploration in future research.