Bad News (About Brands) Travels Fast

Such consumers—defined as "Madvocates" in the report—are predisposed to negative word-of-mouth (WOM) practices after suffering bad experiences with brands.

Interestingly, loyal consumers are even more likely than the general population to sour on brands: 31% of "WOM Champions," consumers who are active promoters for the brands they love, say they are more likely to share a bad experience with a brand than a good one.

"One lesson is clear, hell hath no fury like a Champion scorned," said COLLOQUY Managing Partner Kelly Hlavinka. "Since 'Madvocacy' is an attitude that nearly one-third of all Champions share and are willing to act upon, loyalty marketers must accept their responsibility for the impact their programs can have on generating both positive and negative word of mouth."

Below, other findings from the report, Urban Legends: Word-of-Mouth Myths, Madvocates and Champions, from COLLOQUY.

Madvocacy, by Demographic Segment

The propensity to share negative WOM is present across all demographic groups in roughly similar proportions. Affluent consumers (30%) are the most likely to spread bad news about a brand, followed by young adults (25%) and women (25%).