Minxue Huang, Fengyan Cai, Alex S.L. Tsang and Nan Zhou
This paper seeks to explore factors that can help generate a bigger ripple for diffusive Word‐of‐Mouth (WOM) in an online environment. Specifically, the paper aims to demonstrate…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to explore factors that can help generate a bigger ripple for diffusive Word‐of‐Mouth (WOM) in an online environment. Specifically, the paper aims to demonstrate how the characteristics of WOM information influence the ripple effect.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper used a survey based on real posts in online discussion forums to collect the data. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was utilized for analysis.
Findings
WOM as diffusive communication could generate a ripple effect. All of the WOM characteristics, which were investigated (quality, authority, authenticity and interestingness), have a positive effect on resenders' acceptance toward WOM, which, in turn, have a significant positive impact on resenders' resending intention. Furthermore, the positive impacts of WOM characteristics on resenders' acceptance exist, regardless of whether the valence of WOM information is positive or negative.
Research limitations/implications
This study provides insights into the role of WOM information in facilitating the WOM ripple effect. However, the specific characteristics of WOM information that influence consumers' perceptions of WOM are not explored in the present research.
Originality/value
The results of the study may help practitioners manipulate and use online WOM information in order to make marketing communications more efficient and influential.
Details
Keywords
Junyun Liao, Yaohua Ye, Fengyan Li and Kai He
Social free sampling (SFS) campaigns are an increasingly popular marketing practice in which firms provide trial users with free sampling products and collect posted trial reports…
Abstract
Purpose
Social free sampling (SFS) campaigns are an increasingly popular marketing practice in which firms provide trial users with free sampling products and collect posted trial reports from trial users on social commerce sites to attract prospective consumers. This paper aims to examine how trial users’ product evaluation in SFS influence appreciative reader engagement by utilizing the persuasion knowledge model (PKM).
Design/methodology/approach
To test our theoretical framework, 3,427 trial reports were collected from an SFS site and analyzed using Poisson regression models.
Findings
SFS evaluation is negatively associated with readers’ appreciative engagement. We also found that higher emotional intensity in SFS reports or higher reputation of the trial user mitigates the negative effect of the product evaluation. However, when the trial report with stronger emotional intensity is written by a trial user with a high reputation, the negative impact of the SFS evaluation on appreciative engagement becomes more pronounced.
Research limitations/implications
Although extant research has acknowledged product rating bias in product trial reports, limited empirical studies have examined the impact of product ratings on reader engagement. This empirical study bridges the voids of product rating bias in the social free sampling literature and provides important managerial implications for the emerging social free sampling.
Practical implications
Brands should be careful of the negative effect of high product rating and this negative effect can be mitigated by inviting users of high reputation.
Originality/value
This study is among the first ones that examine the effect of SFS product evaluation on appreciative engagement and provide a nuanced understanding of how product evaluation, user reputation and emotion intensity jointly shape reader engagement.