Elisabeth Bomhard & Ülfet Isci-Özalp
Social media constantly presents curated snapshots of others’ lives—luxury vacations, career milestones, and lifestyle achievements (Vogel et al., 2014). This environment encourages comparison, shaping emotions, attitudes, and purchasing behavior (Desjarlais, 2024; Verduyn et al., 2020). Understanding the psychological mechanisms at play allows brands to engage audiences effectively while maintaining ethical standards.
Digital Comparison: Benign and Malicious Envy
Benign envy arises when consumers perceive success as deserved and attainable. It motivates self-improvement, admiration, and positive engagement with brands associated with admired figures (Van de Ven, Zeelenberg, & Pieters, 2009; Meier & Schäfer, 2018). This constructive emotion often leads to positive brand outcomes, such as imitating the admired product or spreading positive word-of-mouth.
Malicious envy, by contrast, emerges when success seems unattainable or undeserved. It can trigger anxiety, lowered self-esteem, and defensive consumption (Mussweiler et al., 2004; Zheng et al., 2020). This destructive form of envy may result in avoiding the advertised product, switching to a competitor’s brand, or engaging in negative brand evaluations (Loureiro et al., 2020; Feng et al., 2021).
Understanding these distinct pathways is crucial for creating content that inspires without alienating audiences.
Influencer and Content Dynamics
The choice of influencer fundamentally shapes how comparisons are processed psychologically.
– Micro-influencers promote relatability and attainable success. Comparisons with them tend to create an *assimilation effect* (“I can be like them”), fostering benign envy, trust, engagement, and identification with content (Noon & Meier, 2019; Tian et al., 2023). Peer-driven, user-generated content amplifies these constructive effects.
– Macro-influencers and celebrities inspire aspiration, but comparisons often create a *contrast effect* (“I could never be like them”). If their achievements feel out of reach, this can risk eliciting malicious envy. Emphasizing effort, authenticity, and framing success as realistic can enhance the motivating potential of such content and reduce hostile reactions (Claeys et al., 2024).
Content that highlights **process, effort, and authenticity** strengthens admiration while reducing resentment (Feng et al., 2021; Zheng et al., 2018). Perceived similarity in portrayal fosters connection, making comparisons feel relevant and constructive (Festinger, 1954; Reid-Partin & Chattaraman, 2023).
Contextual and Cognitive Influences
Consumers’ responses are shaped by cognitive load and context.
Rapid scrolling or multitasking reduces the capacity to regulate emotional reactions. When cognitive capacity is low, the emotional appeal and first impression of content become more dominant in purchasing decisions than rational thought (Crusius & Mussweiler, 2012). In these moments, clarity of messaging and emotional resonance become essential.
Alignment of product type with comparison domain further enhances effectiveness: appearance-related comparisons respond to beauty and fashion products, while career comparisons resonate with professional development offerings (Reid-Partin & Chattaraman, 2023; Zheng et al., 2022). Audience segmentation and relevance amplify the impact of inspirational content.
Harnessing Negative Comparison Constructively
Even malicious envy can be associated with positive outcomes when the consumer’s focus shifts. While malicious envy initially creates other-focused hostility, brands can redirect attention toward personal growth. When consumers perceive attainable benchmarks or opportunities for self-improvement, their focus can turn inward, transforming hostile feelings into constructive motivation (Tian et al., 2023; Salerno et al., 2019).
Brand communities act as mediators, reducing rivalry and supporting collaborative engagement (Wang et al.,2021). Addressing fundamental psychological needs—such as competence, confidence, and social connection—helps foster meaningful engagement without exploiting vulnerability (Mandel et al., 2017).
Ethical and Social Responsibility
Social comparisons can negatively affect well-being, increasing anxiety, materialism, and compulsive buying, particularly among adolescents and individuals with low self-esteem (Verduyn et al., 2020; Islam et al., 2018; Dittmar, 2005).
Therefore, it is an ethical imperative for marketers to avoid strategies that deliberately create feelings of insecurity or inadequacy to trigger compulsive purchases, especially in young and vulnerable audiences. Long-term brand loyalty is far more valuable than short-term sales based on emotional exploitation.
Brands that integrate ethical considerations support consumer welfare and maintain long-term brand equity. Positive initiatives may include promoting media literacy, balancing aspirational and authentic content, and collaborating with mental health programs (Derbaix et al., 2025; Gao et al., 2024; Hu et all, 2023).
Key Insights for Marketers
– Social comparison is pervasive on social media, influencing both emotion and behavior.
– Benign envy motivates engagement and loyalty when content is relatable and success seems achievable. It drives imitation and positive word-of-mouth.
– Malicious envycan lead to avoidance, competitor preference, and negative brand feedback, especially when success feels unearned or unattainable.
– Relatability enhances connection through assimilation effects; micro-influencer and user-generated content often outperform highly polished celebrity campaigns that risk creating unhelpful contrast effects.
– Framing affects outcomes: highlighting effort, authenticity, and realistic progression fosters admiration over threat.
– Even negative emotions can be channeled constructively when brands redirect focus toward attainable self-improvement goals.
– Long-term success is linked to ethical marketing that supports consumer well-being without exploiting negative emotions.