The dark side of brands: exploring fear of missing out, obsessive brand passion, and compulsive buying

Understanding the roots of compulsive buying is critical because it often leads to negative outcomes like depression, social anxiety, and debt. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) and brand passion on compulsive brand buying. Data were collected from 511 consumers, and Partial Least Squares was utilised for the data analysis. The study supports the dual theory of passion, which delineates brand passion into harmonious and obsessive forms, with the latter representing a negative aspect. The findings strongly affirm the relationship between FOMO and both types of brand passion. Obsessive passion emerges as a more significant predictor of compulsive buying. Moreover, the study unveils that consumer age moderates the relationship between FOMO and obsessive passion. Marketing strategies are recommended to facilitate consumers' FOMO-driven passions, encourage and nurture harmonious passion, foster obsessive passion in a more responsible manner, and focus on brand passion-driven marketing for younger consumers.