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Persuasion in e-WOM

Momberg, M. (2014) Persuasion in e-WOM.

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Abstract:Electronic word-of-mouth has proven to have a great impact on the online decision making process of consumers. There is a lot of information available on the internet and consumers use the information to inform themselves before purchasing a product or service. In this research, the effects of persuasion in online product reviews on the attitude of a consumer toward the review, reviewer and brand have been studied. To test the effects, stimulus material has been developed in which different persuasive cues were added around a review text. Two studies were conducted among 167 Dutch participants in study 1 and 166 in study 2. Data has been gathered by the use of an online questionnaire. The results demonstrate a positive effect of liking of the reviewer on the perceived quality of a review and trustworthiness of a reviewer. The volume of available reviews has an effect on the perceived brand attitude and purchase intention. Especially a high volume of available reviews, combined with a positive review score, contributes to a positively perceived review quality and a positive attitude toward the brand. Finally, the results demonstrate an interaction effect between involvement and liking on the perceived brand quality and an interaction effect between involvement and social proof on the perceived review quality and trustworthiness of the reviewer. This paper contains implications for online marketers to improve their product review pages.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:05 communication studies
Programme:Communication Studies MSc (60713)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/65456
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