Experiential marketing has been the new force in the field of marketing for past several years, while traditional marketing which focuses on single product can no longer satisfy nowadays customers. Instead, it is ¡§comprehensive marketing¡¨, the strategy that resorts to personal experiences through integrating organ, thinking, interrelation, interaction, service, and emotion, that rocks this industry. A series of relevant studies by scholar Pine II, Gilmore and Schmitt suggest that ¡§experiential marketing¡¨ can effectively and efficiently improve the satisfaction and loyalty of numerous consumers. This thesis is based on the model of customers¡¦ three-phase decision process by Schiffman and Kanuk (2000), the model of five strategic experiential modules (SEMs) by Schmitt (1999), and other related literatures. In addition to utilizing these models and studies as the basis of this thesis, I accordingly revise the model to further accurately measure the characteristics of the basketball industry, or say Super Basketball League (SBL) in this case. Last but not the least, I also conducted the survey , by using questionnaires, to ask consumers who have attended the SBL games before how experiential elements influence the experiential satisfaction and the behavior of ¡§word of mouth¡¨. After collecting 208 effective questionnaires and running relevant statistics data analyses, the conclusions are found as follows: 1. There is a positive relationship between the promotion incentives used by the SBL and consumers¡¦ willingness to attend the games. 2. There is a positive relationship between the personal interest and consumers¡¦ willingness to attend the games. 3. There is a positive relationship between the opinions of focus groups and consumers¡¦ willingness to attend the games. 4. There is a positive relationship between the audience's positive experience and consumers¡¦ satisfaction. 5. There is a positive relationship between the audience's positive experience and the behavior of word of mouth. 6. The level of customer¡¦s satisfaction will influence the behavior of word of mouth. 7. The various dimensions of the motive to attend the game have positive influence on consumers¡¦ satisfaction through experiential elements. 8. The various dimensions of the motive to attend the game have positive influence on the behavior of word of mouth through experiential elements.

abstract   buzz marketing, the phenomena Have you ever thought about why the small French pastries called macarons suddenly became so extremely popular? Soon they were seen everywhere in the media, on every celebrity party and shortly after of course on every Swedish person’s cake dish. Could it be that a trendy it-girl happened to mention these lovely creations in her blog? What (or who) is it really that decides and controls what is popular and what is going to sell? If one individual can influence a whole group of followers it is definitely something marketers should take advantage of. One cannot any longer rely on traditional advertising, one needs to be more creative and rethink the possibilities to get through the media noise. This brought our attention to Buzz Marketing and Word-of-mouth which is a tool for marketers to make use of individuals to spread positive information in different ways.   research question How does Buzz Marketing work with the individual as a channel of communication?   methodology This is a case study on the idea of Buzz Marketing and the individual as a channel of communication. The foundation of our research is based on a selection of three companies that are all involved in activities oriented towards Buzz Marketing and the individual as an influential factor. The three companies studied are; Pronto Communication, Buzzador and Springtime. We have also used one independent source. The empirical facts have been collected from homepages, personal- and mail interviews and the secondary data has been collected through subject literature and scientific articles.   result & conclusion One needs to choose the right communication channel to get through the media noise, from sender to receiver. The individual functions within Buzz Marketing as a channel of communication and finding the right individual to spread positive Word-of-mouth is of major importance for the message to reach through. What these individuals are called and their required characteristics depends on the person who one asks and the task the individuals are about to perform. What they actually do is basically the same; they spread a message to a specific target group on behalf on a marketing bureau and its clients, often in exchange of free samples or something else that is coveted.  One can then choose to call them ambassadors, innovators, influencers or opinion leaders. It is very important that these individuals have the ability to influence specific target groups and that they are committed. They should also be willing to try new things, have a large social network and be curious. Marketers just need to identify these individuals and get to know them. This may sound like a simple task, but is in fact far from it. If Buzz Marketing is not transparent and well-planned enough it can result in a negative Buzz; every marketer’s nightmare.   Keywords: Buzz Marketing, Word-of-mouth Marketing, Buzz, Word-of-mouth, innovator, opinion leader, communication channels, media noise, segmentation, IT, individual, diffusion of innovations, source credibility.

I samband med den växande teknologiska utvecklingen har spridningen av internetbaserade recensioner, även kallat electronic-word-of-mouth (eWOM), fått en allt större betydelse för konsumenterna inför ett köpbeslut. Turismbranschen är ett exempel på en bransch där allt fler människor använder online recensioner vid val av hotell online. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur den negativa spridningen av eWOM påverkar köpbeslutsprocessen hos svenska konsumenter vid onlinebokning av hotell. Studien baserades på teorier som belyser följande ämnen; köpbeslutsprocessen, trovärdighet och eWOM.  Studiens urval grundades på individer som har tidigare erfarenheter av hotellbokning online och använder online recensioner vid sin informationssökning samt är över 18 år gamla. Studien bestod av en kvalitativ undersökning där tio respondenter har intervjuats på ett semistrukturerat vis. Intervjufrågorna bestod av 35 frågeställningar som var tematiserade i fyra olika teman med sju subteman och utformade efter studiens frågeställningar samt syfte.  Resultatet påvisade att majoriteten av respondenterna i undersökningen ansåg att negativa recensioner är till hjälp inför deras köpbeslut. Detta gäller vid osäkerhet eller informationsbrist gällandes hotellet. Resultatet visade även att negativ eWOM har en större påverkan på konsumenternas köpbeslut än positiv eWOM.  Majoriteten av respondenterna tyckte att tvåsidig information var en viktig faktor inför deras köpbeslut, samt att recensioner skall vara detaljerade. Den uppfattade trovärdigheten ökade ifall webbplatsen var lättanvänd, allmänt känd och modern. / With regards to the global technological advancements and the effects of both external and internal factors on consumers' decision-making process. Consumers utilize online platforms to convey and to perceive other’s opinions, the act falls under the category electronic word of mouth (eWOM). The aim of this study was to reach a deeper understanding of how negative electronic word of mouth (neWOM) affects consumers' buyer decision process.  The study utilized theories that highlight the following areas: consumer buyer decision process, credibility, electronic word of mouth. With regards to these theories a qualitative research method was applied, and ten semi-structured interviews were carried out. The interview questions were divided into different themes, based on the previously stated theories.  The results indicated that negative reviews are of value for the participants of the study prior to purchasing decisions, especially during situations of insecurity and lack of information. It also showed that neWOM has an effect on their consumer buyer decision process. Their capability to trust certain webpages were based on the popularity, design and the navigational sense of ease or difficulty of the webpage. The results also showed that negative reviews were perceived as more trustworthy by most of the participants.

In this dissertation, I examine how online conversations as electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) information via social media networks affect business outcomes. Using data from the movie industry, my goal is to show how conversation quantity and quality, defined here as volumes and valence, on social network sites affect important business outcomes such as sales. Using a dynamic simultaneous equation system, I find that social media conversations can be a precursor to and an outcome of sales. Aggregated data from multiple sources show how social media variables and other key variables—volume, valence, and other information related to movies such as YouTube views, ratings, advertising, production budget, number of screens—contribute to box-office and home video sales through eWOM via social media. Findings highlight that eWOM volume correlates with box-office performance and home video sales: the more positive and strong the conversation, the higher the box office and home video sales. The study extends prior research on WOM and offers insight into how film studios can strategically manage social media to enhance box office and home video revenue. / text

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which the message structure of an online word-of-mouth referral influences the booking intentions of lodging consumers. The objectives were (1) determine what elements of the message structure of an online word-of-mouth referral influenced the booking intention of lodging consumers and (2) determine whether message structure moderated the relationships between beliefs, attitudes, norms, and booking intentions of online lodging consumers. A Web-based survey instrument was administered to 158 undergraduate students from eight different hospitality management course sections. Each course section was exposed to one of eight conditions. To address the first objective of the study, two separate two-way ANOVA procedures were employed to determine the main and interaction effects of type of claim (positive versus negative) and type of conclusion (implicit versus explicit) within one-sided messages and type of claim (positive claim first versus negative claim first) and type of conclusion (implicit versus explicit) within two-sided messages, the third element of the message structure examined was type of conclusion (explicit vs. implicit).To address the second objective, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to determine whether message structure moderated the relationships between beliefs, attitudes, norms, and booking intentions of online lodging consumers The findings from the ANOVA indicated there was a significant main effect for positive one-sided messages. Respondents that received only positive online word-of-mouth messages had significantly higher booking intention scores (M = 3.84, SD = 1.57) than respondents that received only negative online word-of-mouth messages (M = 2.63, SD = 1.61; F (1, 75) = 10.67, p = .002). There was no significant interaction for type of claim and type of conclusion within the one-sided condition, F (1, 75) = 0.66, p = .419.The findings from SEM analysis indicate sidedness would moderate the relationship between beliefs, attitudes, norms, and booking intentions of online lodging consumers. Specifically, the relationship between behavioral beliefs and normative beliefs was stronger in the sample of respondents exposed to the one-sided message (β = .52, p = .002) than in the sample of respondents exposed to the two-sided message (β = .31, p = .011). This study suggests that lodging companies could benefit from a human-centered approach to understanding online word-of-mouth message structure and thereby consumer information behavior.

Due to the fast speed of broadband and the advanced level of bandwidth, Internet users love to spend a lot of time surfing the Internet and the e-life concept has become a very popular living style. Recently, the trend towards food shopping in groups has overwhelmed traditional shopping habits. In the past, people bought food after a free taste and now the food lovers share their experiences on their blogs. The unknown shops therefore will become famous after being introduced by food lovers forwarding their relevant e-mails. The establishment of virtual communities for shopping in groups helps consumers to acquire a better price after negotiating with shop owners. The estimated variables, including comments of group leaders, life styles and intensity of relations, were used to analyze the buying willingness in the virtual communities. The results of questionnaires were collected from the ihergo website, run by a Delicacies Discovery Team in Kaohsiung. All data were analyzed and verified via: descriptive statistics, reliability factors, correlation and regression etc. The results are described as follows: 1.The positive comments of group leaders impacted buying willingness in the virtual communities. 2.The positive intensity of relations affected the buying willingness in the virtual communities. 3.The ¡§creativity and trends¡¨ in lifestyle revealed a positive correlation with the buying willingness in virtual communities

Fenomenet med auktioner är inget nytt begrepp, utan man har i flera decennier använt sig av liknande tjänster och nätauktioner har haft en positiv utveckling i takt meddigitaliseringen. I en tid där fokus ligger på hållbarhet blir nätauktioner allt viktigare genom deras arbete med cirkulär ekonomi. Därför är det viktigt att nätauktioner fortsätter att utvecklas för att minska klimatavtrycket. Studiens syfte är att få djupare förståelse om hur e-service quality påverkar konsumenternas köpbeteenden på nätauktioner. Med denna studie är syftet att identifiera faktorer som påverkar konsumenterna i nyansen av e-service quality. För att mäta tjänstens kvalité har studien använt sig av modellen e-service quality framtagen av Parasuraman, Zeithaml och Berry (1988). Tillsammans med e-service quality använde sig studien av köpprocessen (Solomon, 2018) för att hitta ett samband mellan upplevd tjänstekvalité och konsumentens köpbeteende. Studiens frågeställning besvaras med en kvalitativ metod samt en abduktiv ansats. Studien har erhållit empirisk data genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Intervjufrågorna formulerades utifrån sex dimensioner av e-service quality identifierade av Zeithaml, Parasuraman och Malhotra (2002). Slutligen analyserades empirisk data tillsammans med köpprocessens olika steg. Studien tyder på att det inte finns några större skillnader på svaren från de olika intervjupersonerna. Med hjälp av studien kan vi se klara mönster och säkerställa vilka dimensioner inom e-service quality som har störst påverkan på konsumentens köpbeteende. I och med digitaliseringens är detta område intressant för vidare studier för att effektivisera cirkulär konsumtion och därmed minska klimatavtrycket. / Auctions are not a new concept and similar services have been used for decades and online auctions have had a positive development through digitalization. In a time when focus lies on sustainability, online auctions are becoming increasingly important through their work with circular consumption. Therefore, it is important that online auctions continue to evolve to reduce the climate footprint. The purpose of the study is to gain a deeper understanding of how e-service quality affects consumers' purchasing behavior at online auctions. This study aims to identify factors that affect consumers in the nuance of e-service quality. To measure the quality of service, the study has used the model e-service quality developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1988). Along with e-service quality, the study of the buying process (Solomon, 2018) has been used to find connections between perceived service quality and the consumer's buying behavior. The study's question is answered with a qualitative method and an abductive approach. The study has obtained empirical data through semi-structured interviews. The interview questions were formulated based on the six dimensions of e-service quality identified by Zeithaml, Parasuraman and Malhotra (2002).Finally, empirical data were analyzed together with the different steps of the buying process. The study indicates that there are no major differences in the responses of the different interviewees. With the help of the study, we can see clear patterns and ensure which dimensions in e-service quality have the greatest impact on the consumer's buying behavior. With the advancement of digitalization, this area is interesting for further studies to streamline circular consumption and thereby reduce the climate footprint.

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Word-of-mouth har länge varit ett intressant och viktigt fenomen inom marknadsföringen. Med introduktionen av Internet och den växande populariteten av sociala medier, så har word-of-mouth förändrats och är nu tillgänglig för många fler konsumenter online och världen över. Word-of-mouth som sker över Internet har fått namnet elektronisk word-of-mouth (förkortat eWOM). Denna studie har undersökt skillnader i inflytandet av olika word-of-mouth-källor, specifikt traditionell muntlig WOM och eWOM. Detta för att se om det finns några skillnader i hur konsumenter söker och tar del av WOM-information inför köpbeslut av nya produkter eller tjänster. Denna studie har också perspektivet att endast kolla på inflytandet av negativa WOM-källor och hur dessa påverkar konsumenters köpbeslut. Studien har genomförts med hjälp utav ett elektroniskt frågeformulär som distribuerats genom Högskolan i Borås studenter samt genom Facebook. Frågeformuläret består av frågor och avsnitt gällande hur viktigt WOM är för konsumenter innan köp av en tidigare oprövad produkt eller tjänst, trovärdigheten av WOM informationen, hur WOM kan ändra ens attityd samt sannolikheten att man avstår köp på grund av negativ WOM.Resultatet från frågeformuläret visar på att traditionell muntlig WOM fortfarande anses vara den bästa WOM-källan, den som används mest och anses vara den mest trovärdiga källan för WOM och fick högst poäng i alla kategorier från frågeformuläret. eWOM från ratingsidor rankades som näst bäst medan eWOM från ens Facebookvänner ansåg vara det sämsta alternativet för eWOM i alla kategorier. Slutsatsen dras därför att negativ WOM-information influerar konsumenter på olika vis beroende på vilken WOM-källa det kommer ifrån. Traditionell muntlig WOM anses vara det bästa, även om eWOM används mycket så anses det inte vara lika trovärdigt och informativt. / Word-of-mouth has been an important phenomenon in marketing for a very long time. With the introduction of the Internet and the growing popularity of social media, word-of-mouth communication has changed and is now available for consumers from all over the world with just the click of a mouse on your computer. This phenomenon has been given the name electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). This study has examined the influence of different WOM-sources, specifically traditional oral WOM and electronic WOM to see if there are any differences in how consumers search and use different WOM-information in their purchase decision. This study has also taken an approach to only look at the influence of negative word-of-mouth from different WOM-sources and their influence. To research this an electronic questionnaire has been used and distributed to student at the University of Borås and also over Facebook. The questionnaire consists of questions regarding how important looking for WOM information before a purchase it, trustworthiness of WOM, how WOM can change your attitude to a product or service and the possibility of not going through with a purchase based on information from WOM-sources.Results from the questionnaire shows that traditional oral WOM is still considered to be the best, most used and trustworthy source of WOM as it scored highest in all categories of the questionnaire. eWOM from rating sites scored second in all categories, and eWOM from Facebook friends scored lowest in all categories. It can therefore be concluded that negative WOM-information can influence consumer purchase decision in different ways, and even though eWOM is widely used it is considered to be less informative and trustworthy than traditional oral WOM.

Marknadsföring är ett viktigt verktyg att använda sig av för att locka konsumenter till att köpa hotellens produkter. Det finns ett antal olika sätt att åstadkomma detta. Syftet med uppsatsen var att undersöka olika marknadsföringssätt som kan vara gynnsamma inom dagens hotellverksamheter. Senare diskuterades det kring bakgrunden och resultatet. Här belystes det att segmentering av marknad är viktigt för att kunna möta olika kundgrupper på bästa sätt. Här framkom även att marknadsföringsmixens olika delar går att koppla till varandra. Ytterligare diskuterades det kring word-of-mouth och att det beror på flera faktorer om gästen ska bli nöjd med hotellet. Gynnsamma marknadsföringssätt som ett hotell kan nyttja är marknadssegmentering, marknadsföring baserad på den förlängda marknadsföringsmixen samt spridning av positiv word-of-mouth, där kundnöjdhet är ett centralt tema. / B-uppsatser