Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify and describe how consumer perceptions regarding information quality, sender credibility and effect of eWOM-communication differ between Facebook and Prisjakt. Approach – Based on previous research an analytical model was designed. The parts in the model were the aspects of the problem which the present study aimed to examine. An experimental design was applied in which ten students at Örebro University were exposed to a scenario where they took part of eWOM-communication concerning a specific product on Facebook and Prisjakt and then had to answer questions in an interview. The analytical model formed the base of the interview guide used in the interview and the specific product was chosen with help from a focus group. Implication – The study illustrates that consumers may perceive the quality higher on Prisjakt while the sender credibility can be perceived higher on Facebook. Despite this conclusion the effect of eWOM-communication in this study is that the information on Facebook is adopted to a greater degree than the information on Prisjakt. The reason for this is that the sender credibility appeared to be more important in the process of information adoption. / Syfte – Syftet med denna studie är att identifiera och beskriva hur konsumenters uppfattning skiljer sig mellan Facebook och Prisjakt gällande informationens kvalitet, avsändarens trovärdighet och effekten av eWOM-kommunikation. Tillvägagångssätt – Utifrån tidigare forskning utformades en analysmodell vars delar var de aspekter av problemet som studien syftade till att undersöka. En experimentell design tillämpades där tio studenter vid Örebro universitet fick sätta sig in i ett scenario där de tog del av eWOM-kommunikation gällande en specifik produkt på Facebook respektive Prisjakt och sedan fick svara på frågor i en intervju. Analysmodellen låg till grund för en intervjuguide som användes vid intervjun och den specifika produkten diskuterades fram med hjälp av en fokusgrupp. Slutsats – Studien illustrerar att konsumenter kan uppfatta informationens kvalitet högre på Prisjakt medan avsändarens trovärdighet kan uppfattas högre på Facebook. Trots detta är slutsatsen gällande effekten av eWOM-kommunikation i studien att informationen på Facebook tenderar att anammas till en större grad än informationen på Prisjakt. Anledningen till detta är att avsändarens trovärdighet visade sig vara av större betydelse i processen av informationsanammande.

Bakgrund: E-handelsmarknaden är ständigt växande och människors konsumtionsbeteende har under senare år förändrats. Traditionellt sett är Word-of-mouth en starkt bidragande orsak till konsumenters köpbeslut och idag förekommer också WOM på Internet (eWOM). En typ av eWOM är kundomdömen på prisjämförelsetjänster och då förekomsten av dessa ständigt ökar är det intressant att undersöka hur dessa kan tänkas påverka konsumenter i deras köpbeslut. Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka om och hur kundomdömen av återförsäljare på svenska prisjämförelsetjänster på Internet påverkar andra konsumenters val av återförsäljare. Genomförande: Denna studie genomförs genom insamling av kvalitativ data, dels genom fokusgrupper, dels genom intervjuer med representanter från svenska prisjämförelsetjänster. Resultat: Studien visar att kundomdömen har betydelse för konsumenters val av återförsäljare på Internet. Konsumenter lägger generellt stor vikt vid konsumentomdömen men detta varierar från fall till fall beroende på en rad faktorer.

Titel: EWOMs påverkan på konsumenters köpintentioner - En studie om hur olika personlighetstypers köpintentioner påverkas av recensioner på internet.   Nivå: C-uppsats, examensarbete i ämnet företagsekonomi Författare: Jonas Lindblom och Jonas Åfors   Handledare: Jonas Molin och Lars-Johan Åge   Datum: 2018- maj   Syfte: Syftet med studien är att förklara hur olika personlighetstyper och deras köpintentioner påverkas av eWOM.     Metod: Studien använder sig av en kvantitativ forskningsmetod med en enkätundersökning som underlag för framarbetat resultat. Den webbaserade undersökningen som bestod av 23 frågor samlade in svar från 121 respondenter. Enkätsvaren analyserades sedan i det statistiska dataprogrammet SPSS där deskriptiv statistik, klusteranalys samt en korrelationsanalys genomfördes.   Resultat och slusats: Resultatet av denna studie visar att konsumenters köpintentioner påverkas olika av recensioner på internet beroende på deras personlighetsdrag. Studien tyder på personlighetsfaktorerna neuroticism och openness bidrar till köpintentioner av att läsa recensioner på internet vid bokandet av semesterresor. För personlighetsfaktorerna agreeableness och conscientiousness tydde resultatet på att recensioner på internet ger en omvänd effekt och bidrar till minskade köpintentioner.   Förslag till vidare forskning: Vidare forskning bör applicera ett mer utförligt Big Five-test i undersökningen för att se om sambanden mellan personlighetsfaktorerna och recensioner på internet blir dem samma. En större omfattning av denna studie med fler respondenter skulle bidra till ökad trovärdighet samt fler statistiska klarheter.   Uppsatsens bidrag: Studien har bidragit till ökad kunskap inom företagsekonomin med inriktning på marknadsföringsbegreppet eWOM och kopplat det till personlighetsforskningen inom Big Five. Vår studie bidrar till att företag inom turismbranschen enklare kan se vilka olika personlighetstyper som läser recensioner på internet. På så vis går det enklare att rikta sin marknadsföring till de individer som inte väljer att läsa och ta till sig recensioner på internet. / Title: The impact of eWOM on consumer purchasing intentions - A study of how the purchasing intentions of different personality types are influenced by online reviews                                         Level: Final assignment for Bachelor Degrees in Business Administration   Author: Jonas Lindblom och Jonas Åfors   Supervisor: Jonas Molin och Lars-Johan Åge   Date: 2018 - May   Aim: The purpose of the study is to explain how different personality traits and their purchasing intentions are influenced by eWOM.   Method: A quantitative research method was performed with a survey as a basis for the results obtained. The web based survey, which consisted of 23 questions, collected responses from 121 respondents. The questionnaire then was analyzed in the statistical computer program SPSS where descriptive statistics, cluster analysis and a correlation analysis were conducted.   Result and conclusion: The result of this study shows that consumers purchase intentions are influenced by online reviews based on their personality traits. The study suggests that the personality factors neuroticism and openness contribute to purchase intentions after reading reviews on the internet when booking holiday trips. For the personality factors agreeableness and conscientiousness, the result suggested that reviews on the internet give a reverse effect and contribute to reduced purchase intentions.   Further research: Further research should apply a more detailed Big Five test in the survey to see if the relationships between personality factors and online reviews make them the same. A greater extent of this study with more respondents would contribute to increased credibility as well as more statistical clarity.   Contribution of the thesis: The study has contributed to increased knowledge within the business administration with a focus on the eWOM marketing concept and linked it to the personality research within Big Five. With the help of our study, we help companies in the tourism industry to more easily see what types of personality are reading online reviews. This makes it easier to target their marketing to those individuals who do not choose to read and receive reviews on the internet.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-01T23:40:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_10244_Dissertação Millyani _ VERSÃO FINAL.pdf: 1542531 bytes, checksum: ed14a9a52eca98f8c9c7ec2bc452a566 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-08-25 / FAPES / Essa pesquisa qualitativa, de caráter exploratório, buscou compreender os temas mais discutidos dentro dos blogs de moda – especificamente cinco deles. O presente estudo busca analisar a realidade dos blogs de moda brasileiros. E também pretende descrever e analisar o “boca-a-boca” eletrônico nos blogs de moda. A ideia principal da pesquisa é encontrar as semelhanças entre os textos que os blogueiros e seus leitores produzem e reunir temas relacionados aos produtos de moda, importantes especialmente para as marcas de moda e os varejistas. A fim de alcançar o objetivo do presente estudo, esta investigação busca responder à seguinte questão de pesquisa: “Quais temas estão sendo mais comentados pelas leitoras nos blogs de moda?” Utilizou-se a Netnografia como metodologia de pesquisa, seguindo as orientações do criador do método, Robert Kozinets (2010, 2014). A literatura de apoio foi estruturada com base no eWOM, o “boca-a-boca” eletrônico, como ele acontece, quais os envolvidos nessa atividade, quais as motivações para participar, quem são os líderes de opinião e como a história da moda apresenta conteúdo relevante para a prática dessa atividade. Com base na literatura encontrada e na análise dos relatos, foi possível avaliar cinco blogs de moda influentes no Brasil, e como resultado, identificar quatro categorias de análise de tipos de leitoras nos Blogs: a leitora “fã-clube”, a leitora “quero comprar agora”, a leitora “críticas de moda”, e a leitora “caça tendência”. Por fim, esse estudo permitiu uma reflexão sobre a heterogeneidade dessas comunidades, apesar de todas serem blogs de moda, como cada perfil de blogueira atrai um perfil diferente de interação e comentários em seus blogs. / This qualitative exploratory research aims at understanding the most discussed issues on fashion blogs, more specifically five of these blogs. The study seeks to analyze the reality of Brazilian fashion blogs, analyzing the "word-of-mouth" in electronic fashion blogs. The main purpose of the research is to find similarities between the texts that bloggers and their readers produce, and gather topics related to fashion products, which is an important information for fashion brands and retailers. In order to achieve the objective of this study, the research seeks to answer the following research question: "What issues are most commented on by readers in fashion blogs?" The research methodology employed was netnography, following the guidelines provided by Robert Kozinets (2010, 2014), who designed this method. The literature reviewed focused on eWOM, the "word-of-mouth" electronic, especially considering how it happens, who is involved in this activity, what are the motivations to participate, who are opinion leaders, and how fashion history is relevant for the comprehension of eWOM. Based on the literature review, the exploratory analysis evaluated five influential fashion blogs in Brazil and, as a result, identified four types of readers’ blogs or four categories of analysis: the reader "fan club”, the reader “want buy now”, the reader “fashion criticism”, and the reader “hunting trend”. In conclusion, the study provided a reflection on the diversity of these blog communities. Although the blogs analyzed are equally fashion blogs, each blogger style attracts a different type of interaction and comments on the blog.

This master thesis is focusing on the information overload in digital marketing and using the method of sentiment analysis to detect if the issue occurs or not. A model and method of different sentiments (positive and negative) were organized, and evaluated based on the statistical and prominent findings of the emotional value in the customer satisfaction in online reviews. Findings were analyzed, as to what data, and categories showed value which proved information overload and these were thereafter connected to previous academic studies of sentiment analysis and customer satisfaction connected to information overload. The results of the analysis proved that the sentiment analysis had significance in some aspects and categories to combat the information overload issue in digital marketing for online consumers.

Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur parasocial interaktion upplevs i form av en influencers äkthet från följarens perspektiv på Instagram, med ett fokus på betalda samarbeten. Studien undersöker hur följarna upplever influencers äkthet med hjälp av tre arbetsfrågeställningar samt huvudfrågeställningen: ‘Hur upplevs parasocial interaktion i form av en influencers äkthet i betalda samarbeten på Instagram?’. Det teoretiska ramverk som studien grundar i är framförallt Horton och Wohls teori som förklarar parasocial interaktion. Men även mindre teorier och begrepp för att kunna se studien från flera perspektiv, som electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM), marknadsföring och konsumtion. Metoden som har använts för att studera detta är en kvalitativ intervjumetod där följarna till influencerna intervjuades. Resultatet från intervjuerna transkriberades och analyserades. Studiens slutsats blev att följarna upplever en stark relation till influencerna och att de blir påverkade av att ständigt ta del av deras vardag. Vad som gör en influencer äkta är om den visar mer ofiltrerade bilder och inte bara det bästa från dennes liv.

During 2020, online brokers experienced an increase in people who began to invest their money on the stock market. This, because covid-19 made people realize that they needed an economic buffer in difficult times. Moreover, the stock market declined in the beginning of 2020 due to the pandemic which made people see the chance to make profits. Simultaneously, it was evident that the social media usage surged due to covid-19 as people could not meet each other psychically, which resulted in them using social media to interact. In the beginning of 2021, two events occurred in which investors made decisions based on turmoil on social media, which had tremendous effects on investors and the financial market as a whole. These events depicted how financial markets and social media are interrelated, which was interesting for us as we have specialized in finance and marketing respectively. Evidently, research merging these two areas is scarce which motivated us to explore how social media and its mechanisms affect investors when making investment decisions. From the above mentioned events, it could be seen that certain stocks were hyped within online communities, such as Twitter and Reddit. Subsequently, we deemed that it would be interesting to investigate how investors are influenced by online communities. Moreover, it appeared as if investors adhered to the large mass rather than the information that others expressed. Hence, we deemed that we would investigate online communities, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and user-generated content (UGC). The main purpose of this thesis was to gain a deeper understanding of how social media influences, i.e. online communities, eWOM and UGC, affect non-professional investors’ investment decisions. By examining theories of investment decisions, we explored how investors act and also which factors that influence them in their decision-making process. The second area framed both the features and the power of online communities, eWOM and UGC which influence social media users. We performed a qualitative study to examine the mindset of nonprofessional investors and to investigate how they related to and acted upon the quick and accessible information produced online regarding firms and their activities. By our research, we aimed to provide insights on how marketing and finance affect one another, especially in the wake of the rapidly developing digital environment where information sharing on social media is taking new heights. This research was performed by using a qualitative study, in which semi-structured interviews were conducted to get a broader comprehension of the behaviour that investors adopt. The participants of our study consisted of non-professional investors, as we deemed the professional investors to be less adherent to external noise. Using the data from the interviews, we conducted a thematic analysis which resulted in specific themes related to areas of investment decisions, online communities and eWOM/UGC. The findings suggest that investors are affected by online communities, eWOM and UGC although mainly for inspiration, knowledge and information. Hence, our findings signify that investors use them to widen their knowledge and find new companies and sectors to invest in. Concurrently, investors highlight the importance of making their own analysis and research before making a final decision, which signifies that eWOM and UGC do not have a direct impact on investors.

The Internet allows customers to share their experiences with, and opinions on, goods and services with other customers, that is, to engage in e-WOM communication. This paper consists of two major sections. The aim of the first one is to define the main e-WOM behaviour characteristics of Czech consumers and their motivations for transmission and exposure e-WOM behaviour. For this purpose, a questionnaire survey (n = 220) is conducted with a target group of people aged 16 to 54 years. The results indicate that the main reasons for exposure e-WOM behaviour are saving decision-making time, making better buying decisions, reducing cognitive dissonance and advice seeking when having product issues. In the case of transmission e-WOM behaviour, consumers are motivated by altruistic reasons, benefits of collective power and venting negative feelings. The second, experimental, section of this work examines the consumer's attention depending firstly on the e-WOM valence, the structural elements and the brand type, and secondly on the different characteristics of online reviews. In the first place, the results of the eye-tracking research (n = 24) illustrate a statistically significant impact of the interaction between the brand type and the e-WOM valence on consumer attention and in the second place it shows the dominance of the reviewer's name in attracting consumer attention. An in-depth interview is conducted in order to enlighten the results of eye-tracking research. Academic and managerial implications are discussed.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate and identify which factors using eWOM contribute to reduced returns in the purchase decision process. Theory: The study is based on theories that contain the purchase decision process, electronic word of mouth (eWOM), social media, positive and negative eWOM and the website´scredibility. Method: The study is based on a qualitative research approach where a convenience selectionis applied. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted on both male and female online consumers. Conclusion: The study shows that respondents tend to spend more time and focus on the purchase decision process for online purchases from foreign e-commerce companies compared to Swedish e-commerce companies to avoid a costly and time-consuming return process. The respondents actively engage in the search for information before making anonline purchase to reduce the uncertainty about the quality and fit of the clothing products, which has proven to be the main reason for dissatisfaction and return after an online purchase. The study also shows that eWOM contributes to better purchasing decisions and reduced returns, partly because it helps to create a holistic view of the clothing products. The contributing factors to reduced returns are eWOM in the form of consumer reviews, consumer- images and videos that complement the available product information. Other contributing factors are the combination of positive and negative consumer reviews and the credibility of the website.

Restaurangbranschen är en lovande affärsverksamhet då mat är ett av de primära behoven för alla människor. Restauranger arbetar i en fysisk miljö med en stor mängd personlig interaktion med kunderna, vilket innebär att fel, misstag och misslyckanden inte kan undvikas. Genom att dessa felaktigheter uppstår vänder kunderna sig till att publicera negativ eWOM (elektronisk word-of-mouth) i form av klagomål på nätet. Detta kan allvarligt skada restaurangen om inte det implementeras en plan och strategi för att hantera och motverka den negativa eWOM. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka varför negativ eWOM förekommer i restaurangbranschen och hur den hanterar dessa negativa publikationer på nätet genom Service Recovery samt vad de gör för att förebygga negativ eWOM. Forskningsfrågorna studien ska besvara är; vilka är de bakomliggande orsakerna till att restauranger får negativ eWOM? Hur arbetar restaurangbranschen med negativa recensioner på deras kanaler? Hur arbetar restauranger för att förebygga dessa problem? Teorierna som studien utgår från är service failure, kundnöjdhet, negativ eWOM och Service revocery. Studien utgår från en kvalitativ metod med en abduktiv forskningsansats. Empirin utfördes genom tio semistrukturerade intervjuer med chefer/ägare av restauranger. Restaurangbranschen kan inte undvika servicemisslyckanden oavsett dess grad av lyxighet. Däremot finns det planer och strategier som kan implementeras för att minimera konsekvenserna av servicemisslyckanden som sker. Dessa strategier är att man först inser att servicemisslyckande inte kan undvikas och på så sätt vara beredd att handskas med konsekvenserna genom att vara snabba med att hantera problemet. Därefter är det kritiskt att deeskalera de negativa känslorna som kunderna upplever efter att en servicemisslyckande uppstått samt upprätthålla en snabb och mindre hantering genom att erbjuda kompensationer och förklaringar. Det är även kritiskt för hanteringen att ha en digital närvaro och kommunikation med kunderna då den negativa publikationen sker digitalt genom sociala medier.