Search results

1 – 10 of over 5000
Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 October 2021

Alberto Lopez and Ricardo Garza

Do consumers rate reviews describing other consumers' sensory experience of a product (touch, smell, sight, hear and taste) as helpful or do they rate reviews describing more…

4421

Abstract

Purpose

Do consumers rate reviews describing other consumers' sensory experience of a product (touch, smell, sight, hear and taste) as helpful or do they rate reviews describing more practical properties (product performance and characteristics/features) as more helpful? What is the effect of review helpfulness on purchase intention? Furthermore, why do consumers perceive sensory and non-sensory reviews differently? This study answers these questions.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyze 447,792 Amazon reviews and perform a topic modeling analysis to extract the main topics that consumers express in their reviews. Then, the topics were used as regressors to predict the number of consumers who found the review helpful. Finally, a lab experiment was conducted to replicate the results in a more controlled environment to test the serial mediation effect.

Findings

Contrary to the overwhelming evidence supporting the positive effects of sensory elicitation in marketing, this study shows that sensory reviews are less likely to be helpful than non-sensory reviews. Moreover, a key reason why sensory reviews are less effective is that they decrease the objective perception of the review, a less objective review then decreases the level of helpfulness, which decreases purchase intention.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the interactive marketing field by investigating customer behavior and interactivity in online shopping sites and to the sensory marketing literature by identifying a boundary condition, the authors’ data suggest that sensory elicitations might not be processed positively by consumers when they are not directly experienced, but instead communicated by another consumer. Moreover, this study indicates how companies can encourage consumers to share more effective and helpful reviews.

Details

Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7122

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 13 March 2024

Tjaša Redek and Uroš Godnov

The Internet has changed consumer decision-making and influenced business behaviour. User-generated product information is abundant and readily available. This paper argues that…

Abstract

Purpose

The Internet has changed consumer decision-making and influenced business behaviour. User-generated product information is abundant and readily available. This paper argues that user-generated content can be efficiently utilised for business intelligence using data science and develops an approach to demonstrate the methods and benefits of the different techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

Using Python Selenium, Beautiful Soup and various text mining approaches in R to access, retrieve and analyse user-generated content, we argue that (1) companies can extract information about the product attributes that matter most to consumers and (2) user-generated reviews enable the use of text mining results in combination with other demographic and statistical information (e.g. ratings) as an efficient input for competitive analysis.

Findings

The paper shows that combining different types of data (textual and numerical data) and applying and combining different methods can provide organisations with important business information and improve business performance.

Research limitations/implications

The paper shows that combining different types of data (textual and numerical data) and applying and combining different methods can provide organisations with important business information and improve business performance.

Originality/value

The study makes several contributions to the marketing and management literature, mainly by illustrating the methodological advantages of text mining and accompanying statistical analysis, the different types of distilled information and their use in decision-making.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 53 no. 13
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 10 June 2020

Ayesha Lian Bevan-Dye

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of perceived information and entertainment value, perceived credibility and perceived value on Generation Y consumers’ usage…

4163

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of perceived information and entertainment value, perceived credibility and perceived value on Generation Y consumers’ usage frequency of online consumer reviews.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper proposes and tests, with structural equation modelling analysis of moment structures, a research model using data from a large sample of Generation Y consumers.

Findings

The results confirm that Generation Y consumers perceive online reviews to be informative, entertaining, credible and valuable, and that they frequently consult such reviews. More specifically, the empirical analysis confirms that perceived information value, perceived entertainment value and perceived credibility significantly influenced the perceived value that Generation Y attach to online consumer reviews, which, in turn, was a significant predictor of their usage frequency of such reviews.

Practical implications

The results highlight the strategic importance of integrating online consumer reviews into the marketing communication mix when targeting Generation Y, together with the necessity of having filtering mechanisms to ensure that only authentic reviews are published and the need to implement tactics to ensure that such reviews are informative and entertaining and, consequently, of value.

Originality/value

This study contributes to marketers’ comprehension of strategically using online consumer reviews when targeting the Generation Y segment.

Propósito

El objetivo de esta investigación es examinar la influencia del valor de la información, del valor del entretenimiento, la credibilidad y el valor percibido en la frecuencia de uso de las revisiones online de los consumidores por parte de los consumidores de la Generación Y.

Diseño/metodología/enfoque

Este documento propone y contrasta, a través de los modelos de ecuaciones estructurales (AMOS), un modelo de investigación que utiliza datos de una gran muestra de consumidores de la Generación Y.

Resultados

Los resultados ponen de relieve la importancia estratégica de integrar las reseñas de consumidores en línea en la combinación de comunicaciones de comercialización al dirigirse a la Generación Y, junto con la necesidad de disponer de mecanismos de filtrado para garantizar que sólo se publiquen reseñas auténticas y la necesidad de aplicar tácticas para asegurar que dichas reseñas sean informativas y entretenidas y, por consiguiente, de valor.

Implicaciones prácticas

Los resultados destacan la importancia estratégica de integrar las revisiones de los consumidores en línea en el mix de comunicación de marketing cuando se dirigen a la Generación Y, junto con la necesidad de contar con mecanismos de filtrado para garantizar que solo se publiquen revisiones auténticas y también se implementen tácticas para garantizar que las reseñas sean informativas y entretenidas y, en consecuencia, de gran valor.

Originalidad/valor

Este trabajo ayuda a los especialistas de marketing a comprender como pueden utilizar estratégicamente las opiniones de los consumidores online para dirigirse a los consumidores de la Generación Y.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 6 September 2023

Theresa Macheka, Emmanuel Silva Quaye and Neo Ligaraba

Young consumers are increasingly using online reviews and celebrity influence to make purchase decisions. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the influence of online…

12934

Abstract

Purpose

Young consumers are increasingly using online reviews and celebrity influence to make purchase decisions. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the influence of online customer reviews, celebrity influencer’s attractiveness, celebrity influencer’s credibility on female millennials’ purchase intention of beauty products.

Design/methodology/approach

To validate the research questions and hypotheses, data were obtained from young female consumers using an electronic self-administered survey questionnaire that was close ended. A total of 203 valid responses were obtained from which data were analysed by making use of structural equation modelling Mplus and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 28.

Findings

The obtained results showed that the seven hypotheses of the study were positive. However, two hypotheses were negative, namely, celebrity influencer attractiveness did not have a significant influence on the attitude of consumers; and brand loyalty was not significantly correlating with young female consumers’ purchase intention of beauty products.

Practical implications

Given that millennials are known to be active users of social media and often consult online peer product reviews, marketers and practitioners of beauty industry should improve the effectiveness and usability of beauty influencers and online reviews to attract female millennial consumers.

Originality/value

This research contributes to understanding young female consumers’ attitudes towards purchasing beauty products, especially the combined influence of group influence (online reviews) and media influence (celebrity beauty influencers) on such attitudes.

Details

Young Consumers, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-3616

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 21 December 2020

R. Venkatesakumar, Sudhakar Vijayakumar, S. Riasudeen, S. Madhavan and B. Rajeswari

The star rating summarises the review content and conveys the message faster than other review components. Star ratings influence helpfulness of the reviews, and extreme reviews

4167

Abstract

Purpose

The star rating summarises the review content and conveys the message faster than other review components. Star ratings influence helpfulness of the reviews, and extreme reviews are considered as less helpful in the decision process. However, literature has rarely addressed variations in star ratings across product categories and variations between two online retailers. In this paper, the authors have compared the distribution of star ratings across 11 products and among the retailers.

Design/methodology/approach

Online reviews for 11 product categories have collected, and the authors compared the distribution of star ratings across 11 products and retailers. Correspondence analysis has been applied to show the association between star ratings and product categories for the e-retail firms.

Findings

The Amazon site contains proportionately more number of 1-star rated reviews than Flipkart. In Amazon reviews, few product categories are closely associated with 1-star and 2-star reviews, whereas no product categories are closely associated with 1-star and 2-star reviews in Flipkart reviews. The results indicate two distinct communication strategies followed by the firms in managing online consumer reviews.

Research limitations/implications

The authors did not analyse data across demographic details because of access restriction policies of the websites.

Practical implications

Understanding the distribution of review characteristics will improve the consumer’s decision-making ability and using online review content judiciously.

Social implications

This study’s results show significant insights on online retailing by providing cues in using shopping sites and online review characteristics of two prominent retailers.

Originality/value

This paper has brought out a distinct distribution pattern of online review between Amazon and Flipkart. Amazon allows a higher degree of negative contents, whereas Flipkart allows more number of positive reviews.

Details

Vilakshan - XIMB Journal of Management, vol. 18 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0973-1954

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 18 October 2021

Aya K. Shaker, Rasha H.A. Mostafa and Reham I. Elseidi

This research investigates consumer intention to follow online community advice. Applying the technology acceptance model (TAM) to the context of online restaurant communities…

3838

Abstract

Purpose

This research investigates consumer intention to follow online community advice. Applying the technology acceptance model (TAM) to the context of online restaurant communities, the study empirically examines the effects of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude and trust on the intention to follow online advice.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from 360 members of online restaurant communities on Facebook and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

The findings revealed that trust, perceived usefulness and attitude are key predictors of the intention to follow online restaurant community advice.

Originality/value

Extant research on the influence of online reviews on consumer behavior in the restaurant industry has largely focused on the characteristics of the review, reviewers or readers. Moreover, other studies have investigated consumers' motivations to write online restaurant reviews. This study, however, takes a different approach and examines what drives consumers to follow the advice from online restaurant communities.

Details

European Journal of Management and Business Economics, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2444-8451

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 14 February 2020

Jinghuan Zhang, Wenfeng Zheng and Shan Wang

The purpose of this paper is to explain the difference and connection between the network big data analysis technology and the psychological empirical research method.

51576

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the difference and connection between the network big data analysis technology and the psychological empirical research method.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzed the data from laboratory setting first, then the online sales data from Taobao.com to explore how the influential factors, such as online reviews (positive vs negative mainly), risk perception (higher vs lower) and product types (experiencing vs searching), interacted on the online purchase intention or online purchase behavior.

Findings

Compared with traditional research methods, such as questionnaire and behavioral experiment, network big data analysis has significant advantages in terms of sample size, data objectivity, timeliness and ecological validity.

Originality/value

Future study may consider the strategy of using complementary methods and combining both data-driven and theory-driven approaches in research design to provide suggestions for the development of e-commence in the era of big data.

Details

International Journal of Crowd Science, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-7294

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 July 2020

B. Rajeswari, S. Madhavan, Ramakrishnan Venkatesakumar and S. Riasudeen

This study aims to compare online review characteristics, review length and review sentiment score between “organic” and “regular” food products. In addition, variations in the…

2959

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to compare online review characteristics, review length and review sentiment score between “organic” and “regular” food products. In addition, variations in the consumer sentiment scores across the review lengths are studied.

Design/methodology/approach

This study fits into the descriptive research design. From Amazon’s website, the consumer product reviews are scrapped. Using the text analytical package “sentiment” in R-Studio, we computed the sentiment scores and counted the number of words in each review. The mean sentiment scores and mean review length are compared for regular and organic products using one-way ANOVA. Sentiment score variation across review length and product class is studied through factorial ANOVA. Sample reviews of ghee and honey are used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The review length shows a significant difference between the regular and organic products. The mean number of words in the regular products reviews is significantly lower than the mean number of words in the organic product reviews. The regular products’ mean sentiment score is significantly lower than the mean sentiment score of organic products. The mean sentiment scores are not consistent between ghee and honey. Sentiment scores are better for organic honey and regular ghee products. For regular ghee products, longer reviews result in lower sentiment scores. For regular and organic versions of honey, longer reviews are associated with better sentiment scores.

Research limitations/implications

This study did not include the helpfulness of a review and the demographic data of the reviewers.

Practical implications

Sentiment scores’ variations across the regular and organic and product categories such as ghee and honey give a comprehensive feedback to the firms. It also indirectly communicates a brand’s evaluation by the consumers and the performance feedback for an upward extension like the organic category.

Social implications

Studies on organic category give feedback for environment-friendly products and consumer attitude shift towards safer products.

Originality/value

Very limited studies have reported the upward line extensions. The authors study the upward line extension organic and associated sentiment scores variation. The role of review length and its systematic influence on the sentiment scores, variations in the review due to the product nature (organic/regular) are unique contributions of this study.

Details

Rajagiri Management Journal, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0972-9968

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 August 2021

Khaoula Akdim

This study, first, reviews the existing literature on electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and, using communication theory, examines its impact on its readers’ decision-making…

6541

Abstract

Purpose

This study, first, reviews the existing literature on electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and, using communication theory, examines its impact on its readers’ decision-making processes. Second, this paper aims to propose some elements of eWOM communications that might be further researched.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review of relevant academic articles produced 97 works related to social communication theory, eWOM and new artificial intelligence trends in hospitality. Thereafter, potential avenues for future research were explored.

Findings

The study results showed: valence, relevance, understandability and visual cues are the most important antecedents of message usefulness and the reader’s behavioral intentions; source credibility is the sender characteristic that most affects the reader’s behavioral intentions and consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence is the receiver characteristic that most influences their attitudes and behavioral intentions. In addition, the study highlights four relevant aspects for future research. First, more research into online fake reviews is needed to better understand sender motivations. Second, companies should actively manage negative reviews. Then, the careful choice of platforms on which companies promote their products/services. Finally, the role of artificial intelligence in increasing the effectiveness of eWOM in the hospitality industry.

Originality/value

This paper integrates – grounded on communication theory – results from previous studies about the central elements of communication (message, sender and receiver) and discusses the main trends in hospitality-related eWOM. In addition, the paper examines the potential of specific eWOM elements as future lines of research, in particular: fake reviews, strategies for dealing with negative reviews, the eWOM platform used and artificial intelligence applications.

Propósito

Este estudio, en primer lugar, revisa la literatura existente sobre el boca-oído electrónico (eWOM) y, utilizando la teoría de la comunicación, examina su impacto en los procesos de toma de decisiones de sus lectores. En segundo lugar, proponemos algunos elementos de las comunicaciones eWOM que podrían investigarse más adelante.

Metodología

Una revisión de la literatura de artículos académicos relevantes produjo 97 trabajos relacionados con la teoría de la comunicación social, eWOM y nuevas tendencias de inteligencia artificial en hotelería. A partir de entonces, se exploraron posibles vías de investigación futura.

Hallazgos

Los resultados del estudio señalaron: 1) la valencia, la relevancia, la comprensibilidad y las señales visuales son los antecedentes más importantes de la utilidad del mensaje y las intenciones de comportamiento del lector; 2) La credibilidad de la fuente es la característica del emisor que más afecta las intenciones de comportamiento del lector; 3) La susceptibilidad del consumidor a la influencia interpersonal es la característica del receptor que más influye en sus actitudes e intenciones de comportamiento. Además, el estudio destaca cuatro aspectos relevantes para futuras investigaciones. Primero, se necesita más investigación sobre las reseñas falsas en línea para comprender mejor las motivaciones del emisor. En segundo lugar, las empresas deben gestionar activamente las críticas negativas. Luego, la cuidadosa elección de las plataformas en las que las empresas promocionan sus productos/servicios. Por último, el papel de la inteligencia artificial en el aumento de la eficacia de eWOM en la industria hotelera.

Originalidad

Este artículo integra –con base en la teoría de la comunicación– resultados de estudios previos sobre los elementos centrales de la comunicación (mensaje, emisor y receptor) y analiza las principales tendencias en eWOM relacionadas con la hostelería. Además, el artículo examina el potencial de elementos específicos de eWOM como líneas futuras de investigación, en particular: revisiones falsas, estrategias para lidiar con críticas negativas, la plataforma eWOM utilizada y aplicaciones de inteligencia artificial.

Palabras clave: eWOM, Teoría de comunicación, Revisiones falsas, Revisiones negativas, Inteligencia artificialTipo de artículo: Revisión de la literatura

目的

本研究, 首先, 回顾了现有的关于电子口碑(eWOM)的文献, 并利用传播理论, 研究了它对读者决策过程的影响。其次, 我们提出了一些可能需要进一步研究的电子口碑传播的要素。

方法。

对相关学术文章的文献回顾产生了97篇与社会传播理论、eWOM和酒店业新的人工智能趋势有关的作品。此后, 对未来研究的潜在途径进行了探讨。

研究结果。

研究结果显示。1)价值、相关性、可理解性和视觉线索是信息有用性和读者行为意图的最重要的前因; 2)来源的可信度是最能影响读者行为意图的发送者特征; 3)消费者对人际影响的易感性是最能影响他们态度和行为意图的接受者特征。此外, 该研究还强调了未来研究的四个相关方面。首先, 需要对网上虚假评论进行更多的研究, 以更好地了解发送者的动机。其次, 公司应该积极管理负面评论。然后, 谨慎选择公司推广其产品/服务的平台。最后, 人工智能在提高酒店业eWOM的有效性方面的作用。

原创性。

本文以传播理论为基础, 整合了以往关于传播中心要素(信息、发送者和接受者)的研究结果, 并讨论了与酒店业相关的电子WOM的主要趋势。此外, 本文还研究了特定的eWOM要素作为未来研究方向的潜力, 特别是:虚假评论、处理负面评论的策略、使用的eWOM平台和人工智能应用。

关键词:eWOM, 传播理论, 虚假评论, 负面评论, 人工智能。

Details

Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC, vol. 25 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2444-9709

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 November 2019

Carlos Orús, Raquel Gurrea and Sergio Ibáñez-Sánchez

This purpose of this paper is to analyze how consumers’ online recommendations affect the omnichannel webrooming experience based on the internet, physical and mobile channels.

8639

Abstract

Purpose

This purpose of this paper is to analyze how consumers’ online recommendations affect the omnichannel webrooming experience based on the internet, physical and mobile channels.

Design/methodology/approach

Two experimental studies are implemented. Study 1 analyzes the impact of an online review on the physical interaction with the product. Study 2 modifies the moment of receiving the online recommendation and its social tie.

Findings

Webrooming improves the shopping experience. Online recommendations from anonymous customers increase confidence in the product’s adequacy, although this effect depends on the moment of receiving the recommendation and the level of confidence before interacting physically with the product. Friend recommendations reinforce preferences regardless of previous online experiences.

Research limitations/implications

This research examines the effects of different types of online recommendations on offline shopping experiences, choice and confidence. Confidence is stressed as a key variable in omnichannel behavior.

Practical implications

The findings offer practical value for electronic word-of-mouth marketing, omnichannel marketing, as well as online and physical channel management.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies that examine the impact of online consumer recommendations on shopping experiences combining online, mobile and physical channels. The results reveal the importance of recommendations’ source and moment of reception for determining consumers’ preferences, choice and confidence.

Propósito

La presente investigación analiza cómo las recomendaciones online afectan a la experiencia webrooming omnicanal, basada en el canal físico, online, y móvil.

Diseño/metodología/enfoque

Se llevaron a cabo dos experimentos. El Estudio 1 analiza el impacto de una revisión online positiva en la interacción posterior con el producto. El Estudio 2 modifica el momento de recibir la recomendación y el vínculo social entre emisor y receptor.

Hallazgos

El proceso webrooming mejora la experiencia de compra. Las recomendaciones online de clientes anónimos incrementan la auto-confianza sobre la adecuación del producto, aunque este efecto depende del momento de recibir la recomendación y del nivel de auto-confianza previo a la interacción física con el producto. Las recomendaciones de amigos refuerzan las preferencias, independientemente de la experiencia online previa.

Limitaciones/implicaciones

Esta investigación examina los efectos de diferentes tipos de recomendaciones online en experiencias offline, le elección y la auto-confianza. La auto-confianza se revela como una variable clave del comportamiento omnicanal.

Implicaciones prácticas

Los resultados ofrecen implicaciones para la gestión del marketing boca-oído y omnicanal, así como la gestión de la experiencia en el canal físico y el online.

Originalidad/valor

Este es uno de los primeros estudios que analizan el impacto de recomendaciones online en experiencias de compra que combinan canales online, offline y móvil. Los resultados revelan que la importancia de la fuente y del momento de recibir la recomendación determinan las preferencias, elección, y auto-confianza de los consumidores.

Palabras clave

Comercio minorista, Omnicanal, Webrooming, Auto-confianza, Boca-oído electrónico, Vínculo social

Tipo de artículo

Trabajo de investigación

Details

Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC, vol. 23 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2444-9709

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 5000