<p>Designed to examine how negative online reviews perceived as conflicts can activate consumers to defend against them, this study performed three experiments that provided converging evidence on the motivation of consumers to counterargue negative online reviews perceived as conflicts. Consumers with different levels of self-brand connection (personal frame vs. non-personal frame) adopt different conflict frames to process information, stimulating either of two impression management types (defensive impression management vs. assertive impression management). Subsequently, transfer consumer intentions to defend the brand against negative reviews. Problem severity strengthened the relation between defensive impression management (DIM) and brand defend intention. This study extends the current understanding of consumers’brand defend intention in the marketplace by highlighting the role of perceived conflict and impression management. It also describes the problem severity as a moderating influence on the perceived conflict-impression management-brand defend intention link.</p>