Determinants of Opening-Forwarding E-Mail Messages

E-mail viral marketing is today perceived as a form of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) advertising in which firms use provocative content to motivate unpaid peer-to-peer communication of persuasive messages from identified sponsors. However, the success of this practice depends on a range of factors, including those we explore and refer to in the present research as individuals' opening and forwarding of messages. From the theoretical perspectives of the social capital theory and the processing-information approach in a persuasive context, we explore how individuals' structural, relational, and cognitive social capital; the message characteristics; individuals' motivations; and the situational context impact the intention to open and forward viral messages. The empirical analysis of the structural model provides new and relevant theoretical and business implications for advertising.