eWOM credibility on social networking sites: A framework

Social networking sites (SNS) offer brands the ability to spread positive electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) for the purposes of building awareness and acquiring new customers. However, the credibility of eWOM is threatened of late as marketers increasingly try to manipulate eWOM practices on SNS. A greater understanding of eWOM credibility is necessary to better enable marketers to leverage true consumer engagement by generating credible peer-to-peer communications. Yet, to date, there is no one framework synthesising which factors constitute eWOM credibility in the online environment. This paper revisits the word of mouth credibility literature and proposes a new credibility framework – the 4Cs of eWOM Credibility: Community, Competence, Content, and Consensus.     

Extending Our Understanding of eWOM Impact: The Role of Source Credibility and Message Relevance

Using qualitative data from consumers who have previously purchased online and who read online product reviews, this work expands current thinking on determinants of the impact of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communications on consumer decision making. Specifically, beyond source credibility, findings suggest that consumers also assess how similar the source of eWOM is to them in terms of personality and product usage. In addition to source credibility, the notion of message relevance is introduced as the second first-order factor of eWOM impact. In turn, the underlying dimensions of source credibility (expertise and trustworthiness) and message relevance (persona similarity and usage similarity) constitute four second-order determinants of eWOM impact; providing a comprehensive view of the determinants of eWOM impact. Additionally, a conceptual framework depicting the sequential and cumulative effect of the four assessment dimensions along with possible gender differences in the processes used to assess eWOM credibility and message relevance are discussed.     

Information direction, website reputation and eWOM effect: A moderating role of product type

This article examines how the electronic word of mouth (eWOM) information direction (positive vs. negative) and a website's reputation (established vs. unestablished) contribute to the eWOM effect. The article describes a study focusing on the moderating role of the product type (search vs. experience). The results of the experiment show that the eWOM effect is greater for negative eWOM than for positive eWOM, greater for established websites than for unestablished websites, and greater for experience goods than for search goods. The results support the moderating effects of product type on the eWOM information direction-website reputation-eWOM effect relationship. The impact of negative eWOM on the eWOM effect is greater for experience goods than for search goods. Similarly, the impact of website reputation on the eWOM effect is greater for experience goods than for search goods. The findings provide managerial implications for an Internet marketing strategy.     

The effect of COVID-19 on consumer shopping behaviour: Generational cohort perspective

The purpose of this research is to contribute to an understanding of the trends and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer buying behaviour. The results document changes in consumer behaviour patterns that came to dominate at the start of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of the Czech Republic. The questionnaire survey using an online panel in a selected country was conducted to identify how consumers from the Baby Boomers, X and Y generations changed their shopping behaviour and which needs they gave preference to during the pandemic crisis in relation to their fears. Using a multiple regression analysis, we demonstrated that fear appeal (fears for health and economic fears) are associated with the changes in customer behaviour and influence traditional and online shopping related to COVID-19. The findings demonstrate significant differences as well as similarities in consumer behaviour between generations. Through empirical investigation, this research supports and expands generation cohort theory in relation to changes in consumer behaviour during the Covid-19 pandemic from a Central European perspective, and provides useful information for researchers and practitioners, particularly for retailers and marketers, to implement appropriate strategies.     

The effects of scent on consumer behaviour

This article presents a systematic review of extant research on the effects of scent on consumer behaviour for readers of the International Journal of Consumer Studies. Although many articles have been published on this topic in recent years, there is a need for a comprehensive summary of up‐to‐date findings in this area of research. A systematic literature review is conducted with selected Chartered Association of Business Schools‐ranked journals in the fields of marketing and psychology, covering the period between 1980 and 2015. Thematic areas include the impact of scent on consumers’ cognitive and affective responses, attitudes and perceptions, as well as memory and behaviours. Relevant mediators and moderators of the effects of scent on these variables include affect, cognition, awareness and individual or environmental stimuli. Gaps for future research are identified and include the role of consumer awareness of scent and its influence on behaviour. Although this article provides a systematic review of the literature within the fields of psychology and marketing, it acknowledges that a large body of research regarding human responses to odours exists within other disciplinary fields such as neuroscience. The potential for, as well as the ethical caveats of, using scent stimuli for marketing purposes are also considered. This article makes a significant contribution to the consumer behaviour literature given its systematic article selection and review process, encompassing the most up‐to‐date research and focusing on all key thematic areas related to scent and consumption.     

The effect of negative online customer reviews on brand equity and purchase intention of consumer electronics in South Africa

This study investigated the effect that negative online customer reviews have on brand equity and purchase intention. This research examined the influence of negative electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on brand equity, as influenced by customer review quality, product involvement and source credibility. A 3 (high quality review versus low quality review versus no review) × 2 (high product involvement versus low product involvement) factorial experiment with 236 respondents was conducted. The results revealed that the presence of negative eWOM has a significant detrimental effect on brand equity and purchase intention. Furthermore, the effect of negative online customer reviews is more detrimental to the brand equity of a high involvement product than a low involvement product. The results also revealed that high quality reviews are more influential than low quality reviews with respect to brand equity, and the difference between the levels of eWOM source credibility has no significant effect on brand equity.     

Role of electronic word-of-mouth content and valence in influencing online purchase behavior

Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) becomes an important tool for online consumers for evaluating and selecting a product. Extant research has mainly studied how various eWOM characteristics such as valence, volume, and text-based eWOM content affect purchase behavior. This study, for the first time, has explored the role of mixed neutral WOM valence and rich eWOM content on online purchase intention. Initially, the qualitative analysis method was used to conduct in-depth interviews with experts-cum-online shoppers from different fields. Purposive sampling was used to select 14 experts and online shoppers from diverse fields. Inductive analysis was conducted to analyze the interview generated content. It helped in forming various codes and categories in explaining eWOM constructs. Content analysis was also used to analyze the importance of various factors in key constructs (themes) affecting online behavior. The finding from the content analysis confirmed that both mixed neutral eWOM and rich eWOM content positively affects online purchase intention. This study has also explored how insights derived from the content analysis of valence and content can help marketers to develop an online marketing strategy. Research implications and future research directions have been discussed in this paper.     

Social media or shopping websites? The influence of eWOM on consumers’ online purchase intentions

This study empirically tests and compares the influence of friends’ recommendations on social media and anonymous reviews on shopping websites in the context of online purchase intention. For this purpose, we analyse the impacts of these two platforms based on the components of information adoption model (IAM) which are borrowed as information quality, information credibility, information usefulness and information adoption. We conduct a survey and find anonymous reviews as more influential on consumer’ online purchase intentions than friends’ recommendations on social media. However, as this result was contrary to that expected, we conduct another study through in-depth interviews in order to enlighten our results found in the first study. In Study 2, we find the reasons why consumers prefer anonymous reviews rather than friends’ recommendations. Information quantity, information readiness, detailed information and dedicated information are factors which make shopping websites superior than social media in terms of the impact of electronic word of mouth (eWOM). Academic and managerial implications are discussed.     

Altruistic eWOM marketing: More than an alternative to monetary incentives

As a form of word of mouth, online reviews are used to reduce uncertainty about service quality and direct consumer attitudes and behavior. As a consequence of the high persuasiveness and the broad accessibility of electronic word of mouth (eWOM), companies are very interested to proactively managing this form of customer-to-customer communication. Compared with traditional advertising provides, eWOM marketing is a more credible and low-cost alternative. So far marketers have commonly used monetary incentives to influence customer-to-customer communication. However, this form also includes potential negative consequences such as credibility loss through consumer skepticism and crowding-out effects. This study analyzed two new incentive programs for increasing recommendation likelihood that considered the activation of an altruistic form of motivation to overcome these drawbacks. Therefore, an experiment was designed with three experimental groups (incentive programs) vs. a control group (no incentive). Finally, the results are discussed while taking into account the advantages and drawbacks of the particular incentive program to deduce practical implications.     

The CEO endorser and message source credibility: an empirical investigation of antecedents and consequences

This article investigates the antecedents and consequences of source credibility within the context of the relatively new but growing phenomenon of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) endorsers. The study results indicate that source credibility is a central determinant of a CEO endorsers' ability to effect desired outcome states. Results also indicate that the effect of message source credibility on purchase intentions, though strong, is not direct because beliefs about critical product attributes mediate the effect of a message source's credibility on behavioural intentions. The results of the study also indicate that models of source credibility derived from the celebrity endorser literature do not generalize to the CEO endorser context. Specifically, the attractiveness and expertise of the message source had no significant impact on receivers' perceptions of credibility.     

From mandatory to voluntary: consumer cooperation and citizenship behaviour

Customer participation of mandatory (ensuring the completion of a service delivery) and voluntary behaviours (achieving the optimal results of the service) influence the outcomes of service organizations. This study examines how service firms transform from coproduction to cocreation in sharing economy by enhancing customer voluntary behaviour through encouraging customer mandatory behaviour. This study explores the mediating effect of perceived value on the mandatory–voluntary relationship, and the driving effect of customer readiness on mandatory behaviour. A total of 181 valid questionnaires were collected from the Taiwanese bed and breakfast sector and analysed by structural equation analysis. The results reveal: (1) the strong impact of customer mandatory behaviour on voluntary behaviour, (2) the partial mediating effect of perceived value on the mandatory-voluntary relationship, and (3) the distinct effects that cooperation has on helping others and word-of-mouth. The findings support the influential roles of customer readiness factors, especially ability, on triggering mandatory behaviour.     

A comparison of online and offline consumer behaviour: An empirical study on a cinema shopping context

The main objective of this study is to analyse online vs. offline differences in consumer behaviour. To this end, through a proposal applied to cinemas in shopping centres, this study considers values and lifestyles as major factors that influence behaviours and intentions. The partial least squares (PLS) approach is used to evaluate the model. A multi-group analysis is conducted to compare consumers who buy tickets online with those who do so at a box office. We consider 391 valid cases. The results obtained show a link between the use of technology and its effects on behaviour. The relationships between values and behaviour as well as between behaviour and future intent are stronger among online consumers than the effects of lifestyles on behaviour. We consider relevant theoretical and empirical perspectives and offer critical recommendations of use to shopping centre managers, movie theatres, and intermediaries of this sector.     

Brand Actions on Social Media: Direct Effects on Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) and Moderating Effects of Brand Loyalty and Social Media Usage Intensity

Most existing social media research has been user focused. This study looks at social media from the brand's perspective by testing (1) theoretical links between brand-action antecedents and positive electronic word of mouth (eWOM); and (2) how brand loyalty and social media usage intensity moderate the relationships between the antecedents and eWOM. Using structural equational modelling from 290 Facebook users, we find empirical support for three brand action constructs (personalization, responsiveness, and transparency) to eWOM. We also find the moderating effects of social media usage intensity and brand loyalty on the relationship between responsiveness and eWOM. Theoretical and managerial implications for these findings are discussed.     

Augmented reality: Research agenda for studying the impact of its media characteristics on consumer behaviour

Augmented reality has emerged as a new interactive technology and its unprecedented way of complementing the physical environment with virtual annotations offers innovative modes for accessing commercially-relevant content. However, little is known about how consumers respond to its features. This paper approaches augmented reality (AR) by studying media characteristics of interactive technologies and shows to which extent they are indicative of current AR commercial apps. Based on a literature review about consumer responses to these characteristics, potential media effects of AR on consumer behaviour are discussed. Finally, the article proposes a research agenda for further study of this new phenomenon in marketing.     

How credibility affects eWOM reading: The influences of expertise,trustworthiness, and similarity on utilitarian and social functions

In online information settings, a few people tend to contribute, while the majority of people consume. For this latter group of readers, electronic word of mouth (eWOM) provides information about products or service experiences that rarely are available from manufacturer-controlled sources, which makes this source of information especially helpful. In turn, eWOM influences readers' attitudes, intentions, and behavior. Manufacturers also hope to monitor and positively influence eWOM content, such as by supporting and building brand communities. But eWOM readers might doubt the credibility of information if it is mostly positive, and the usefulness of eWOM information depends on its credibility. This study offers an empirical and theoretical validation of how specific utilitarian and social functions of eWOM affect attitudes toward and intentions to read eWOM. In particular, trustworthiness is the most important credibility dimension; it affects both functions. Perceived expertise also enhances the utilitarian while similarity improves the social function of eWOM.     

The impact of service failure on brand credibility

Recent studies have examined the consequences of brand credibility, with the majority of works embedded in physical goods. Despite the growing attention service branding receives, little is known about how service failure and recovery efforts impact on brand credibility in service organisations. The purpose of this study is to examine how brand credibility is affected by service failure and an organisations recovery efforts. An online self-completion survey of airline consumers (n=875) was employed to test the relationships between the focal constructs. The results show that a service firm’s effective complaint handling positively impacts satisfaction with complaining, overall satisfaction and service brand credibility. The study also finds that the higher the perceived magnitude of failure, the more difficult it is to satisfy a customer. These results demonstrate that it is possible to maintain service brand credibility during a service failure, provided brand managers develop and implement effective complain handling procedures.     

The influence of eco-label knowledge and trust on pro-environmental consumer behaviour in an emerging market

Consumers are increasingly concerned about the negative environmental implications of purchasing goods, which in turn shape their behaviour. Yet, there are indications that consumers do not always act on these concerns, causing an attitude–behaviour gap. For consumers to make ecologically responsible purchases, they need relevant product environmental information. Therefore, marketers and firms are increasingly integrating more detailed environmental information in their offerings, including eco-labels with externally validated information. This study integrates consumers’ knowledge and trust in eco-labels with their environmental knowledge to determine how these affect pro-environmental consumer behaviour (PECB). The findings suggest environmental and eco-label knowledge is positively associated with attitudes towards the environment, and that positive environmental attitudes and trust in eco-labels affect PECB. This implies that firms, policy-makers and accreditation organisations (i.e. labelling) can educate consumers about eco-labels and the environment to increase PECB. Such strategies will also build consumer knowledge and trust in eco-labels, necessary for facilitating PECB.     

Chinese consumer finance: A primer

Chinese consumer finance has been booming recently, especially since 2014. However, research on this topic is scant. This study presents an updated analysis, providing original, significant contributions for academics, investors, and policymakers. We explore five perspectives: (1) macroeconomics: policies adopted by the Chinese government to enhance economic growth through promoting personal consumption; (2) financial market: China’s different types of consumer finance institutions and their financing; (3) consumers: improvements in financial inclusion and consumer protections; (4) regulations in the context of supply-side structural reforms; and (5) potential areas for future academic research.     

Drivers of consumer adoption of e-Commerce: A meta-analysis

E-commerce has significantly reshaped consumers’ shopping processes and habits. The need to understand the key drivers of online shopping has received keen attention and fueled a rich strand of studies. To help managers and researchers synthesize this growing body of evidence, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to unearth the factors that influence consumers’ online shopping. Our main takeaways reveal that the most important drivers of online shopping (a) conform to the TAM and TPB theories, in addition to (b) website characteristics and past experience. In particular, the multiple predictors are strongly related to online purchase intentions and purchase behavior, where attitude and convenience show the strongest impact. Furthermore, moderator analyses indicate that cultural traits have specific moderating effects on the links between purchase intention and some of its drivers. For instance, power distance and uncertainty avoidance have a positive effect, while individualism, indulgence and masculinity have a negative one. Finally, we apply meta-analytic structural equation modeling to test a conceptual framework including four groups of drivers (consumer–channel interactions, website characteristics, social influence, and consumer characteristics) and different aspects of online shopping. The findings provide valuable insights for online shopping research and practice.     

Understanding online product ratings: A customer satisfaction model

Online product ratings have become a major information source for customers, retailers, and manufacturers. Both practitioners and researchers predominantly interpret them as a reflection of product quality. We argue that they in fact represent the customer's satisfaction with the product. Accordingly, we present a customer satisfaction model of online product ratings which incorporates the customer's pre-purchase expectations and actual product performance as determinants of ratings. We validate our model by applying it to two datasets collected at the German website of Amazon.com. The results indicate that both factors have a significant influence on online product ratings, supporting the proposed interpretation of ratings.