Abstract
Word of mouth (WOM) is a highly credible form of marketing information. However, because it is difficult to study WOM in the face-to-face context, researchers have limited understanding of its sources of effectiveness or its effects beyond product and brand communications. We analyzed computer-mediated data and conducted face-to-face interviews with beauty product enthusiasts in China to understand electronic WOM (eWOM) in a consumption-interest virtual community. Our findings reveal four categories of responses: (1) sources of social capital, (2) brand choice facilitation, (3) persuasion knowledge development, and (4) consumer reflexivity. We then propose a model and offer a set of postulates to outline future research directions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 485-495 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Advertising Research |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2007 |