Yes / Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) plays an important part in consumer purchase decision. The way consumers perceive the persuasiveness of eWOM message can affect their attitude, and purchase intention, and hence sales. Thus, the topic of persuasiveness of eWOM communications has received much attention from scholars. The objective of this paper is to provide a brief review of the existing literature related to the effectiveness of eWOM communications and offer an overview of the determinants of eWOM persuasiveness. This paper contributes to the existing eWOM literature by reviewing the existing studies on eWOM communications, identifying gaps in the current research and providing directions for future research.

Yes / The aim of this research is to synthesise findings from previous studies by employing weight and meta-analysis to reconcile conflicting evidence and draw a “big picture” of eWOM factors influencing consumers’ intention to buy. By using the findings from 69 studies, this research identified best (e.g. argument quality, valence, eWOM usefulness, trust in message), promising (e.g. eWOM credibility, emotional trust, attitude towards website) and least effective (e.g. volume, existing eWOM, source credibility) predictors of intention to buy in eWOM research. Additionally, the effect size of each predictor was calculated by performing meta-analysis. For academics, understanding what influences consumers’ intention to buy will help set the agenda for future research directions; for practitioners, it will provide benefit in terms of practical guidance based on detailed analysis of specific factors influencing consumers’ intention to buy, which could enhance their marketing activities.

Titel: Electronic Word of Mouth’s påverkan på Generation Z - En studie om hur trovärdighet, kvalitet och kvantitet av information påverkar köpintentionen av träningskläder. Nivå: Examensarbete på Grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi Författare: Matilda Haglund Bratt & Fredrik SondellHandledare: Katarina Arbin Datum: 2022 – Januari Syfte: Syftet med studien är att bidra med kunskap om Electronic Word of Mouth’s(eWOM:s) påverkan på Generation Z:s köpintention. Mer specifikt att undersöka hur trovärdighets-, kvalitets-, och kvantitetsfaktorer inom Electronic Word of Mouthpåverkar köpintentionen vid köp av träningskläder. Metod: Denna studie tar sin utgångspunkt i en kvantitativ forskningsansats med ett deduktivt tillvägagångssätt. Datainsamlingen skedde i form av en enkätundersökning som besvarades av personer födda mellan år 1995–2009. Resultat och slutsats: Det finns ett positivt samband mellan variablerna trovärdighet, kvalitet och kvantitet samt Generation Z:s köpintention. Detta visar på att Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) har en betydelse för Generation Z när det ska fatta ett köpbeslut. Examensarbetets bidrag: Den här studien bidrar med ny kunskap om eWOM:s påverkan på Generation Z:s köpintention genom att studien visar att faktorerna trovärdighet, kvalitet och kvantitet har en inverkan på de kommentarer som läses och delas på sociala medier. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Utifrån studiens resultat är några förslag till framtida forskning att undersöka andra generationer, göra en jämförelse mellan generationer eller att genomföra en kvalitativ studie och undersöka vad en målgrupp anser att trovärdiga kommentarer innebär. Nyckelord: Marknadsföring, Generation Z, Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM), Trovärdighet, Kvalitet, Kvantitet, Köpintention. / Title: Electronic Word of Mouth's impact on Generation Z – A study of how credibility, quality and quantity of information influence the purchase intention of fitness apparel. Level: Student thesis, final assignment for Bachelor's Degree in BusinessAdministration Authors: Matilda Haglund Bratt & Fredrik SondellSupervisor: Katarina Arbin Date: 2022 – January Aim: The aim of the study is to contribute to knowledge about the impact of Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) on Generation Z's purchase intention. More specifically, to investigate how credibility, quality, and quantity factors in Electronic Word of Mouth influence purchase intention when purchasing fitness apparel. Method: This study is based on a quantitative research approach with a deductive approach. Data collection was done through a questionnaire survey completed by individuals born between 1995-2009. Result and Conclusions: There is a positive relationship between the variable’scredibility, quality and quantity and the purchase intention of Generation Z. This indicates that Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) has an impact on Generation Z when making a purchase decision. Contribution of the thesis: This study contributes with new knowledge on theinfluence of eWOM on Generation Z's purchase intention by showing that the factors credibility, quality and quantity have an impact on the comments that are read and shared on social media. Suggestions for future research: Based on the results of the study, some suggestions for future research are to investigate other generations, do a comparison between generations or do a qualitative study and investigate what a target audience considers credible comments means to them. Key words: Marketing, Generation Z, Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM), Credibility, Quality, Quantity, Purchase intention.

In recent years, social networking sites have become a prevailing communication technology in the evolution of the digital era for today’s Internet users (Ipsos Insight 2007). As more and more marketers attempt to harness the power of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites (Williamson 2006), rigorous investigation of determinants that lead to consumers’ engagement in eWOM via the social networks is becoming critical. A central question to answer is what factors influence eWOM behavior in social networking sites and what are the underlying processes of eWOM communications in this new social medium. This study focuses on five social relationship variables: social capital, tie strength, homophily, trust, and consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence that are all related to eWOM behavior in social networking sites. An online survey with a sample drawn from a large southwestern university was conducted to examine predictors of eWOM in social networking sites. Results from a series of multiple regression analyses indicate that certain social relationship variables are significant predictors that relate to social networking site users’ eWOM behavior. Out of the five relationship variables, social capital, homophily, trust, and interpersonal influence were found to significantly relate to users’ engagement in eWOM communications, whereas no effect was found with regard to tie strength. My dissertation research provides a theoretical understanding of consumers’ use of social networking sites as a vehicle for eWOM and contributes to the literature on computer-mediated communication with specific emphasis on online social media. Managerially, findings from this research could provide marketers with valuable information to establish their long-term relationships with consumers and use beneficial eWOM to promote selected brands. In conclusion, examining social relationships in social networking sites could contribute to our understanding of the determinants of consumer engagement in eWOM, which in turn influences the extent and pattern of eWOM and enables companies to deliberate their product diffusion strategies. / text

The influence of online customer reviews (OCRs) on consumer behaviour has recently gained considerable attention, from both academic and business communities. Technology allows customers to freely and easily post their comments and opinions online about any product or service. These types of customer reviews can have a significant effect on customers’ purchase decisions and have become an essential part of the experience when shopping online. However, knowledge of the role of the perceived derived attributes of OCRs on consumer behaviour remains vague. Previous studies have mainly focused on the influence of the virtual attributes of OCRs, such as volume and valence, on consumers’ intentions, while limited attention has been paid to understanding the effects of the derived attributes. This study, thus, aims to understand the effects of the social and functional perceived derived attributes of OCRs on customer trust and intention to shop online. Hence, we develop a research model - Perceived Derived Attributes (PDA) -, based on the integration of social support with functional support derived from OCRs. The PDA model provides an in-depth understanding of the role of the social support of OCRs by applying and utilising theories of social support, social presence and a sense of belonging. The PDA model also investigates the influence of the functional support arising from OCRs through the inclusion of perceived control, from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The PDA model characterises perceived social support through informational and emotional supports, social presence, and a sense of belonging; whereas, functional supports are characterised by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, and perceived control. A total of 489 responses to a survey were collected from users of amazon.com. The results from this study suggest that customer trust in an e-vendor and their intention to shop online are significantly affected by social and functional supports derived from OCRs. In particular, informational support, social presence and a sense of belonging, derived from OCRs were found to positively and significantly affect both customer trust in the online vendor and consumer behavioural intention. However, emotional support was only found to affect customers’ intentions and not their trust in the e-vendor. Additionally, customer trust in an e-vendor and their intention to shop online are significantly affected by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and perceived enjoyment of OCRs. Furthermore, the sense of control derived from OCRs significantly affects customer intention and significantly affects customer trust in e-vendors but only for customers who frequently check OCRs before making a purchase. This study is the first to introduce and empirically test the effects of perceived derived attributes of OCRs on customer trust and behavioural intention. Understanding the effects of such influencing factors is of utmost importance for both theoretical development and business practices. Clearly, these attributes of OCRs are linked to the development of the shopping environment, representing a promising marketing tool that positively affects customers’ behaviour.

Social media is a big part of a millennial's life. It is where they communicate with their friends and share experiences. Companies know this and are subsequently trying to reach consumers on social media with their advertising. However, millennials are not highly affected by advertising but care a lot about what other people think and feel about products. The millennial generation is the adult generation that is using social media the most and is also one of the biggest consumer bases in e-commerce. This means that companies need to adapt and try new ways to reach these consumers. This thesis will therefore explore and describe if advertising on social media influences millennials purchasing behavior via Electronic Word Of Mouth (EWOM) rather than having a direct effect on their purchasing behavior. The research question that will fulfill the purpose is "Does advertising on social media influence millennials purchasing behavior via EWOM?". To achieve results and answer the research question, a literature review was conducted and complemented with a self-administered, internet questionnaire. The results show that there seems to be a correlation between millennials seeing advertising on social media and starting to search for more information about the product through EWOM before making a purchasing decision

Mobile service operators are struggling to build strong relationship with their customers. The Saudi Market is described as a highly regulated and competitive sector. Consequently, it is essential that mobile service operators re-evaluate the level of their service quality and understand its critical factors that influence customer eWOM and switching intention through emotional and cognitive responses. According to the literature review, there is a need for studies on customer behaviour to demonstrate whether customer responses are prominent indicators of how customers feel. In addition, there is a lack of empirical study and theoretical modelling of the relationships between customers' emotional response and constructs based on other service experience. The main aim in this research is the investigating customer intentions influenced by service quality using the mediation of emotional and cognitive responses in Saudi Arabia. This research develops a theoretical framework that integrates a set of cognitive and emotional response (pleasure and arousal) to examine the influence of service quality on customer intention by using theory of reasoned action (TRA) and stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R), merged into one framework. Therefore, hypotheses are developed to test the relationship between the framework variables. This research adapts a quantitative methodology along with the positivist philosophical approach to investigate hypothetical relationships within the conceptual framework. This research used online surveys completed by mobile and social media users, including a survey with 601 responses out of 621. To analyse and validate the data, this study applies the structure equation model by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) AMOS V. 23. The result indicates that there are significant relationships between service quality dimensions and emotional response (pleasure and arousal). Moreover, subjective norms have a significant relationship with customer intention and emotional response. In addition, emotional response has, both directly and indirectly, a significant relationship with customer intention. The overall results of this research indicate that both the effect of service quality on eWOM and switching intention were mediated by customer attitude and by the pleasure and arousal emotional responses. These research outcomes yield several theoretical and practical implications. A key limitation of this research is its data collection by using a quantitative research approach and cross-sectional methodology; consequently, the data collection was done solely in the KSA.

Consumers are increasingly engaging with brands on social networking sites (SNS) through activities such as sharing, commenting, liking and recommending products or brands to other consumers. These types of recommendations are referred to as electronic word‐of‐mouth (eWOM) and are proven to have a significant influence on consumers’ purchasing decisions. Previous research has investigated motives for traditional WOM and motives for eWOM on opinion platforms. This study proposes that eWOM on SNSs is a combination of traditional WOM and eWOM on opinion platforms. By using a sample of 154 Swedish Facebook users, this study explores why consumers engage in positive eWOM communication on SNSs. This is done by testing 6 validated motives that are identified in previous research in the new context. The resulting analysis suggests that consumers’ need for social interaction and desire to express positive emotions are the primary drivers behind engagement in positive eWOM communication on SNSs. The findings confirm that eWOM on SNSs contains elements of both traditional WOM and eWOM on opinion platforms and should thus be considered as a unique context where eWOM takes place.

Consumer generated product reviews is a tool growing in popularity among e-retailers. On account of its many benefits and as the internet is continuously taking over as a market place this may come as no surprise. However, deception has found its way in with the intention to further extend these benefits and as reviews keep growing as a go-to tool for the practitioners – so does the phenomenon of brand generated opinion spam. Since legal repercussions of opinion spamming is found in theory to be largely absent, the authors sought for other facets of a brand that could potentially be influenced by this phenomenon. Aiming straight for the heart of a brand, namely brand trust. Taking a foothold in theory on brand trust as a psychological variable, the present thesis aims to explore how revealed opinion spam activities can affect brand trust. Through a qualitative and embedded case study, this thesis thereby aims to explore how brand trust is affected by opinion spam activities unveiled within brands, and ultimately contribute with a deeper understanding of this affect. Data was collected through two focus groups consisting of 14 participants in total, and as found – being engaged in opinion spam activities is a risky business. Brand generated opinion spam is found to influence the antecedents of brand trust negatively. Further research is advised to examine the relationship between opinion spam and brand trust extending beyond an exploratory stage. As antecedents of brand trust can be derived from an array of different constructs, and since brand trust is not uniformly defined in literature - varying sets of findings can surface depending on how brand trust is conceptualized. Brand generated opinion spam itself and its supposed affects ought to be examined further as this contemporary phenomenon is certainly on the horizon for most retailers operating online.   "Dare to be true: nothing can need a lie; A fault which needs it most, grows two thereby." – George Herbert - 1633 / Konsumentgenererade produktrecensioner är ett verktyg som växer i popularitet bland internetbaserade återförsäljare. På grund av dess många fördelar och eftersom internet kontinuerligt växer som marknadsplats är detta kanske ingen överraskning. Dock, har bedrägeri letat sig in i syfte att ytterligare utöka dessa fördelar allteftersom kundrecensioner fortsätter att växa som ett verktyg bland utövare, så kommer opinion spam – fenomenet att växa i takt. Då de juridiska påföljderna av opinion-spamming lyser med sin frånvaro i den vetenskapliga litteraturen, sökte författarna till denna avhandling efter andra aspekter av ett varumärke som potentiellt kan påverkas av detta fenomen. Med siktet inställt på hjärtat av ett varumärke, nämligen varumärkesförtroendet. Avhandlingen tar avstamp i teorier om varumärkesförtroende som en psykologisk variabel i syfte att undersöka hur ett avslöjade opinion spam-aktiviteter kan påverka just varumärkesförtroende. Genom en kvalitativ och en ”embedded” fallstudie syftar denna avhandling därmed till att undersöka hur varumärkesförtroende är påverkat av opinion-spammande aktiviteter som avslöjats inom varumärken, och bidra med en djupare förståelse av denna påverkan. Datan samlades in genom två fokusgrupper bestående av totalt 14 deltagare, och som påvisat är opinion-spamming en riskabel verksamhet. Varumärkesgenererad opinion-spamming har visat sig påverka förtroendet för varumärken negativt. Ytterligare forskning rekommenderas att undersöka förhållandet mellan opinion spam och varumärkesförtroende bortom ett förberedande stadium. Då förtroende för varumärken kan härledas från en rad olika konceptualiseringar, och eftersom varumärkesförtroende som en vetenskaplig term inte är enhetligt definierat i litteraturen – kan varierande uppsättningar av resultat genereras beroende på hur varumärkesförtroende som koncept är uppbyggt. Varumärkesproducerad opinion-spam i sig, och dess påverkan på förtroendet till varumärken borde undersökas ytterligare, detta eftersom det som ett kontemporärt fenomen ligger i riktlinjen för de flesta återförsäljare som är verksamma på internet.

This paper extends the understanding of the word of mouth (WOM) concept and its new role within social media and thereafter analysing the impact that electronic WOM (eWOM) has on marketing campaigns. Quantitative descriptive research was employed, using the tweets that were part of the Vodacom Twitter network. This data was used to analyse the differences of activity and sentiment within the tweets. The collection of tweets were then measured against a proxy, Vodacom’s rebranding campaign. The researcher was able to identify the impact of the rebranding campaign on consumers through the changes in the responses before, during and after the campaign. The research found that the rebranding campaign resulted in higher levels of engagement between consumers and the brand. During the rebranding process, negative sentiments were lowered, however the end result of the campaign left consumers with more negativity regarding the branding. The paper advances marketing practitioners understanding of how WOM and social media play a critical role in today’s marketing. Consumers are no longer bystanders in the marketing process and are instead turning to social media as a source of information as well as a platform to communicate their opinions and attitudes. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted