Brand hate semiotics: hate as a story theory. Netnographic approach during the war on Gaza

Mohamed Assoud, PhD, is a Professor of Marketing and Research Methodology. His research focuses on consumer–brand relationships, negative consumer emotions (including brand hate), digital culture and qualitative and computational approaches to marketing analysis. He has published in international peer-reviewed journals and contributes actively to editorial and academic initiatives in marketing and consumer research. The author is also affiliated with ISGA Rabat, Morocco (since November 2025).

Lahoucine Berbou, PhD, is a Professor of Management Sciences at Hassan First University (Morocco). His primary research interests lie in marketing and branding, with a particular focus on consumer behavior, negative brand relationships such as brand hate, anti-consumption and the emotional dynamics underlying brand value. Beyond this core specialization, his research adopts an interdisciplinary perspective integrating governance, human resource management, performance management and organizational transformation, particularly within public-sector and emerging market contexts. His work has been published in international peer-reviewed journals indexed. He also serves as an academic reviewer for scholarly journals and research projects in marketing and management.

Luis Sérgio Vieira, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences (FCHS), University of Algarve, where he currently serves as Dean of the Faculty and Vice-Director of the Master’s Programme in Educational Psychology. He holds a PhD in Psychology, specializing in Educational Psychology, from the University of Algarve, as well as a Master’s degree in Educational Sciences (Educational Psychology) and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Coimbra. His academic and professional expertise lies in Vocational Psychology and Positive Psychology, with research interests focused on positive psychological development, education, career development, work and well-being. He is a licensed psychologist and a member of the Portuguese Psychologists’ Association (OPP), holding professional specializations in Educational Psychology and Vocational and Career Development Psychology.