Impact of Electronic Word-Of-Mouth on Consumer-Based Brand Equity and Purchase Intention: Hotel Industry in Thailand

Electronic word-of-mouth is a new form of informal communication where messages are disseminated to others using social media and other electronic platforms. This research investigates eWOM to determine its impact on the perception of brand equity and the intentions of consumers to purchase hotel services in Thailand. Using a quantitative approach and a non-probability sampling method, 410 Thai respondents aged 18 and above with relevant hotel experiences participated in this study. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used to analyze the model fit and the validity and reliability of the variables. In addition, in order to investigate the relationship between the constructs, first-order and second-order approaches were used, in which eWOM was the second-order construct in the study, while its credibility, valence, and volume, were first-order constructs. The findings indicated that eWOM positively affects all brand equity dimensions and purchase intentions, showing the strongest significant positive effect on brand awareness. Additionally, brand equity dimensions were shown to mediate the effect of eWOM on purchase intentions. Details of the analyses and discussions are included in the latter part of this paper.

The Role of Information Sources on Tourist Behavior Post-Earthquake Disaster in Indonesia: A Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) Approach

The earthquake disaster has an impact on tourist visit intention. This study aims to investigate tourist behavior in the post-earthquake disaster linkage between information sources (word of mouth and electronic word of mouth) and risk perception toward tourists' visit intentions to a destination in Indonesia. This study applies the SOR theory to predict tourists' behavior in the destination aftermath. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model was used to examine the hypothesis of the study. The result found that information sources (electronic word of mouth and word of mouth) significantly influenced visit intention in the time of post-earthquake disaster. The risk perception has not significantly influenced visit intention in post-earthquake disasters. The discussion and conclusion of the study are discussed herein. Overall, the findings of the study may contribute to the theory by adding information sources to predict tourist behavior post-earthquake disaster and also gives a practical contribution to the tourism sector, stakeholders, tourism marketers, and policymakers in Indonesia to enhance the marketing strategy by considering destination promotion through word of mouth (offline) and electronic word of mouth (online) and its mechanism on tourists' travel decision in the time of aftermath.

Delicious promoter of the restaurant business: measuring impact of supply chain, brand personality and CSR on brand equity development

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to discuss the importance of customer-based brand equity (CBBE) and identify the critical attributes of how to develop CBBE during the most difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach: This study collected 386 restaurant managers' viewpoints to examine the mutual relationships among CBBE and other critical attributes of corporate social responsibility (CSR), electronic word of mouth (EWOM) and brand personality. Furthermore, structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to examine the proposed moderation and mediation hypotheses. Findings: The results show that corporate social responsibility (CSR) mediates the relationship between brand personality and brand image. Furthermore, the mutual relationship among CBBE is discovered in that brand image may indirectly affect brand loyalty through perceived quality and brand awareness. Furthermore, with the reliance on social media, the moderating roles of electronic word of mouth (EWOM) are also revealed that strengthen the indirect effect of brand personality on brand awareness through CSR and brand image. Originality/value: With the increasing attention to CBBE, which aims at tourism destination brand equity, hotel branding from the customer perspective, restaurant managers' viewpoints are not considered. Further, because of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, customers are paying more attention to food safety and food delivery processes, which are important for CSR and connected to CBBE. However, until now, fewer studies have addressed these issues as such. The present study reflects the bidirectional effects of such a comprehensive viewpoint. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

A moderated mediation model of situational context and brand image for online purchases using eWOM

PurposeThe moderating role of situational context in the effects of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on online purchase intention through brand image has found sparse empirical support. This study thus aims to examine whether situational context affects the direction and strength of the relationships between aspects of eWOM and brand image that lead to online purchase intention.Design/methodology/approachTo extend the existing research, the authors tested the model using a sample of 546 online shoppers during the fourth wave of COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City. Specifically, the testing of the direct relationships and the mediating role of brand image occurred using measurement and structural models. The authors then created a moderated mediation model to examine the moderating role of situational context. Furthermore, the authors probed the interactions by identifying changes in the relationships from eWOM to online purchase intention through a brand image at different levels of situational context.FindingsWithout situational context's moderating effect, brand image positively partially mediated the influence of either eWOM credibility or quantity on intention. Situational context's moderating effect then explains why high- versus low-level disease-avoidance customers seek less eWOM credibility and more eWOM quantity to develop brand images and shape their intentions.Originality/valueThe findings have theoretical implications for understanding the pressure of disease avoidance on customers' online purchase intentions. Among the practical implications of the research are tactics for profit and non-profit purposes.

Memorable dining experiences amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the effects of memorable dining experiences (MDEs) in the USA during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA total of 530 valid survey responses were collected in the USA. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS–SEM) was used to estimate inner and outer models. A two-stage approach was applied to test the moderating effects of restaurant safety measures. Additional analyses were conducted to compare electronic word of mouth (eWOM) intention and actual eWOM behavior.FindingsAll five dimensions contributed to the overall memorability of a dining experience, with affect being the primary factor. Overall memorability was positively related to subjective well-being and actual eWOM behavior. Restaurant safety measures were positively related to the overall experience but did not moderate the relationship between any dimension and overall memorability.Research limitations/implicationsFindings provide empirical support for the conceptualization of MDEs during a pandemic and underscore the importance of actual eWOM behavior in restaurant research.Practical implicationsResults offer guidance for restaurant managers in designing MDEs.Originality/valueThe restaurant industry is evolving from simply providing products and services to creating experiences. Yet the impacts of crafting MDEs are not well understood, especially during a pandemic. This study filled this gap by investigating MDEs and their effects on subjective well-being and eWOM behavior.

Does change in the scoring system impact service evaluation? Evidence from Booking.com

PurposeIn September 2019, Booking.com changed from the smiley-based scoring system (2.5–10) to the purely 10-point evaluation system (1–10). The smiley-based service evaluation is based on the multi-dimensional (M-D) system, whereas the purely 10-point service evaluation is based on the single-dimensional (S-D) system. This paper aims to focus on how a change in review posting policies impacts service evaluations regarding review generation and distribution.Design/methodology/approachThe authors exploit the natural experiment using Booking.com when the site changed its scoring system from a multidimensional smiley-based service evaluation system to an S-D scoring system. The authors collected online reviews posted on two travel agencies (Booking.com and Priceline.com) between September 2019 and October 2020. A quasi-experimental approach, Difference-in-Differences, was used to isolate the impacts of the new scoring system from the impacts of the change in the service evaluation environment, i.e. COVID-19.FindingsThe change in the scoring system considerably alters review distributions by decreasing the portion of positive reviews but increasing the portion of highly positive reviews. Using the theory of emotion work (Hochschild, 1979, 2001), DID is also the reason that the former M-D smiley-based system could have underrated, highly positive reviews of services. Using the information transfer theory (Belkin, 1984), the authors reason the asymmetric transfer of information when users consume reviews from the older (M-D) system but are required to generate reviews on a newer (S-D) system.Practical implicationsThe findings would provide online review platform management with a deeper understanding of the consequences of changes in service evaluations when the scoring system is changed.Originality/valueThough the change in the scoring system would affect how customers evaluate the services of hotels, the causal impacts of switching to the new S-D scoring system have not yet been thoroughly covered by prior hospitality and service evaluation literature, which this research aspires to do.

The effect of utilitarian and hedonic motivations on mobile shopping outcomes. A cross‐cultural analysis

Mobile devices are ubiquitous in the lives of modern consumers, who use them for information‐seeking and purchasing activities, fostering the emergence of m‐commerce. This trend has been exacerbated by the COVID‐19 pandemic, which has boosted m‐commerce growth in both developed and developing countries. Hence, there is a need for cross‐cultural research concerning the factors affecting behavioural intentions. Drawing upon the hedonic information systems model, we measure the impact of utilitarian factors on satisfaction, repurchase intention, and eWOM through the mediation of enjoyment across two countries characterized by different stages of m‐commerce readiness and culture: China and Italy. Findings suggest that the impact of utilitarian factors on satisfaction is stronger among Italian users than Chinese users. On the contrary, for Chinese users, who use their mobile phones as a primary device to shop online, the mediation effect of enjoyment on satisfaction and eWOM is stronger. With this study, we contribute to cross‐cultural research in m‐commerce and provide guidelines to mobile retailers operating in diverse international markets.

An Application of the ELM Model to Information Sharing on Twitter: Studying the Role of Message Form and Sender Profile

This paper focuses on the information sharing behaviour of users within a micro-blogging platform, Twitter. We propose an explanatory model of the performance of a message by taking into account the external cues (source and form of the message) beyond the content and meaning of the text, and we test it empirically, on a corpus of nearly 800,000 original tweets sent by about 235,000 users over a period of 7 months concerning the Covid-19 epidemic in France. We thus show the importance of the source's credibility and its strategy on the platform, but also of the form of the post, its composition and its degree of elaboration. These elements are nuanced by the level of engagement of the source in the topic of conversation on which it intervenes and by the context in which these messages are sent and received. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.

The role of country of origin image, brand image and eWOM in the intention to receive the Sinopharm vaccine

Purpose: This study aims to explain the factors associated with receiving a specific brand of Covid-19 vaccine within the framework of the theory of reasoned action. The study extends the theory of reasoned action with the country of origin image, brand image and electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) variables. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on a cross-sectional survey conducted among 460 people who received the Sinofarm vaccine. Participants were selected using an online convenience sampling method. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique tests the proposed hypotheses. Findings: The results showed that the essential factor associated with the intent to get the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine is the attitude toward the Signopharm vaccine. Also, WOM, subjective norms and brand image are the most critical factors that play a role in forming a favorable attitude toward the Sinopharm vaccine. Finally, the country-of-origin image does not affect attitudes toward the Sinopharm vaccine. Originality/value: The area of vaccine marketing has been given limited attention in academic literature. This study addresses this area with little research and is greatly attractive to many brands targeting the consumer market. The study results can form a foundation for creating the branding strategy of this product category and assessing its demand in various markets. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

The influence of intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors on e-WOM behaviour: The role of psychological impact during the time of COVID-19 crisis.

This investigation unearths the trait antecedents of intrinsic and extrinsic motivational drivers and their consequences on attitude towards e-WOM of social mobile app users. Additionally, this study attempts to explore the moderating role of psychological impact on attitude towards e-WOM when COVID-19 is ravaging the world. Following the descriptive research method, the survey was carried out among convenience sample respondents of 627 social mobile app users. The outcome brought out that extraversion had a favourable influence on opinion leadership, customer engagement, and self-expression for sharing consumption related information during the pandemic. Likewise, materialism also had a strong effect on self-expression. Nonetheless, extraversion and materialism failed to affect self-presentation motives. And, self-presentation was observed influencing attitude towards e-WOM negatively. The outcome of the study demonstrates that individuals with high psychological impact have a strong motivation to involve in customer engagement to participate in e-WOM communication. Motivational drivers such as self-expression, opinion leadership, and customer engagement had a significant effect on attitude towards e-WOM for the whole sample analysis. This investigation contributes to existing literature of e-WOM behaviour and widens the scope of self-presentation theory, social exchange theory, theory of planned behaviour etc. Finally, this research also assists marketers and practitioners to take better decision-making on developing a social media advertising and campaign using the framework.

EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF CONSUMER TRUST ON ELECTRONIC WORD-OF-MOUTH (E-WOM) IN E-COMMERCE STORES IN COLOMBIA

ASBTRACT: Restrictions imposed to contain covid-19 during 2020 caused a large growth in e-commerce that was not the same for all products. The product categories with less favorable performance require tools to stim-ulate sales through the digital channel, while high-selling products need to retain their customers. Within such a setting, the generation of electronic word of mouth (e-WoM) is one of the marketing strategy tools that foster e-commerce, so it is important to analyze the variables that affect this asset. One of these variables is consumer confidence in online stores, which has proved to promote e-WoM in international contexts. To add to this field of study, we conducted a cross-sectional research based on a structural equation model that adopts confidence and e-WOM scales found in the literature, which were validated using the partial least squares regression technique in the SmartPLS3 software. Additionally, a group of customers of B2C e-commerce stores in Bogotá, Medellín and Cali were surveyed. Our results show that marketing experts in Colombia should look for mechanisms to strengthen trust in online stores, as this contributes to the spread of electronic word of mouth. © 2023, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. All rights reserved.

Crisis-Resistant Tourists – A Study of Hotel Online Reviews in the Times of Covid-19

Introduction. Tourists traveling in the times of crisis have a higher tolerance for risk and can be called ‘crisis-resistant'. The fact that they are ready to travel even if it is burdened with additional stress and obstacles makes them a valuable market segment for hoteliers, which is worth striving for particularly in the current pandemic situation. The research aims at better understanding of contemporary ‘crisis-resistant' tourists through in-depth analysis of electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM).Material and methods. A web scrapping method was applied to acquire eWOM content posted by tourists traveling in the times of Covid-19. A total of 1239 reviews from 455 hotels were analyzed. Six hypotheses were tested with the use of T Test and Chi Square test.Results. The type of travel and the month of travel did not influence the frequency of coronavirus mentions. Similarly, reviews relating to COVID-19 did not vary in score nor in frequency of managerial replies. However, mention of coronavirus influenced the length of the review and its helpfulness.Conclusions. Crisis-resistant tourists treat issues related to the pandemic (including some in-hotel regulations and restrictions) as any other aspects of the hotel performance and accept them. Interestingly, those aspects do not negatively influence the total evaluation of the hotel, which may suggest that such tourists have already adapted to all the pandemic-induced burdens. At the same time, hotel managers fail to respond timely and adequately to negative comments, which seems to be of the key importance in such a situation.

A comparative study of positive and negative electronic word-of-mouth on the SERVQUAL scale during the COVID-19 epidemic - taking a regional teaching hospital in Taiwan as an example.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, studies have shown that electronic WOM (eWOM) directly reflects consumers' post-purchase psychological perception and directly affects repurchase behavior. This information is valued by institutions in various fields. Within the scope of the evaluation of service characteristics, medical service is the least visible and most difficult service attribute to evaluate. Service organizations must have high trust attributes. Therefore, an eWOM review significantly influences people's decision-making process when choosing a healthcare provider. The purpose of this research is to combine eWOM reviews with the SERVQUAL scale in a comparative study of positive and negative eWOM reviews of a regional teaching hospital in Taiwan. METHODS: This research obtained data from publicly available eWOM reviews on Google Maps of a regional teaching hospital in Taiwan over the past 10 years (from June 24, 2011, to December 31, 2021) using website scraping technology. The semantic content analysis method was used in this study to classify eWOM reviews according to the revised PZB SERVQUAL scale. RESULTS: Statistical analysis was conducted. During the COVID-19 pandemic, positive reviews showed a downward trend. Among the five determinants of the SERVQUAL of PZB, positive eWOM reviews performed best in "assurance" with a positive review rate of 60.00%, followed by 42.11% for "reliability". For negative eWOM reviews, "assurance" performed the worst with a positive rate of 72.34%, followed by "responsiveness" at 28.37% and "reliability" at 26.95%. CONCLUSION: Since the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, negative eWOM has increased significantly and exceeded the amount of positive eWOM. Regardless of positive and negative reviews, what patients care most about is "assurance" of the professional attitude and skills of medical staff, which urgently needs to be strengthened. In addition, good "reliability" will help to develop positive eWOM. However, "responsiveness" as indicated by poor service waiting time can easily lead to the spread of negative eWOM. Hospital management should focus on these service-oriented qualities.

A moderated mediation model of situational context and brand image for online purchases using eWOM

PurposeThe moderating role of situational context in the effects of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on online purchase intention through brand image has found sparse empirical support. This study thus aims to examine whether situational context affects the direction and strength of the relationships between aspects of eWOM and brand image that lead to online purchase intention. Design/methodology/approachTo extend the existing research, the authors tested the model using a sample of 546 online shoppers during the fourth wave of COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City. Specifically, the testing of the direct relationships and the mediating role of brand image occurred using measurement and structural models. The authors then created a moderated mediation model to examine the moderating role of situational context. Furthermore, the authors probed the interactions by identifying changes in the relationships from eWOM to online purchase intention through a brand image at different levels of situational context. FindingsWithout situational context's moderating effect, brand image positively partially mediated the influence of either eWOM credibility or quantity on intention. Situational context's moderating effect then explains why high- versus low-level disease-avoidance customers seek less eWOM credibility and more eWOM quantity to develop brand images and shape their intentions. Originality/valueThe findings have theoretical implications for understanding the pressure of disease avoidance on customers' online purchase intentions. Among the practical implications of the research are tactics for profit and non-profit purposes.

Is Neutral Review Objectively Rated? The Influence Of E-Wom On Online Product Purchase With Social And Physical Risks

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing consumers to change their buying behavior from conventional transactions to online purchases. Online purchases can make it easier for consumers to transact virtually, but it can raise consumer concerns about the risk of the product being purchased. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of the nature of e-WOM (positive vs neutral vs negative) on risk perceptions in online product purchases with different levels of risk. This research was conducted in 2 studies using the experimental research method between participant design. The total number of study participants was 114 people. Study 1 aimed to analyze the effect of the nature of e-WOM (positive versus neutral versus negative) on risk perceptions by using online shopping site manipulation. Study 2 aims to determine the role of e-WOM by using a more risky product. The results show that positive reviews reduce consumer concerns about the risk of buying, compared to negative reviews, but have no effect on neutral reviews. The interesting results of this study suggest that neutral reviews rated more negatively on products with physical risks. This study supports the social judgment theory in persuading consumers and categorizing different messages. The implication from the research is for companies to manage and pay attention to customer satisfaction to increase positive comments on the product purchasing experience. © 2022 Bangladesh Institute of Legal Development. All Rights Reserved.

Impact of COVID-19 anxiety on functional foods consuming intention: role of electronic word of mouth.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic, which involving mass quarantines in many nations, has affected consumer health consciousness behaviors, including food consumption. This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 anxiety on functional food consumption within the framework of changes in health concerns and electronic word-of-mouth communication through digital platforms, paying special attention to the moderating effect of trust on eWOM information. Design: /methodology/approach: This cross-sectional study included 527 participants. The data were analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach. Mediating moderating effects were tested using bootstrapping and multigroup methods. Findings: Anxiety about the COVID-19 virus has a great impact on individuals' health concerns, word-of-mouth information seeking, and functional food consumption intention. Mediating effects of health consciousness and eWOM on functional food consumption intention were also observed. The anxiety about the COVID-19 virus and health consciousness triggers eWOM communication, and is a strong driver of intention to purchase functional foods if people trust the eWOM information source. Originality/value: While scholars have demonstrated the impact of COVID-19 on human behavior, a largely uninvestigated issue is the effect of COVID-19 virus anxiety on health product consumption. This is one of the first studies to examine the interrelationships among COVID-19 anxiety, health consciousness, eWOM, and functional food consumption intention.This study provides valuable insights into consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research should consider the effect of COVID-19 virus anxiety on health-related issues and nutritional behavioral consequences. Based on the results, implications for managers and researchers are proposed.

The Impact of the Pandemic on the Growth of Online Purchases

The paper presents information about consumer behavior and is concerned with collecting and analyzing data on consumer behavior versus online shopping. The whole focus is on how much online shopping has increased since the pandemic to understand how businesses are operating with online sales and whether consumers are satisfied with their services. This paper uses the descriptive methodology and concluded that people make online purchases in our market and from selected businesses. In this place, respondents make the most purchases is Giraffe. We also analyzed the questionnaire's data and compared it with the information extracted, where the result is that: people are greatly influenced by word of mouth on the Internet (e-Wom). So read the experiences of others before buying products. Also analyzed the demographic data, where we concluded that the most cooperative age group for online shopping is 18-23 and the highest participation in the research is female.

The Impact of E-WOM, Online Communities, Online Advertisement on Brand Loyalty, and Buying Behaviour During COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has been going on for more than two years in Indonesia. The pandemic has turned many things digital, including e-WOM/Electronic Word of Mouth. e-WOM research has been widely conducted and has proven to be very influential in improving customer purchasing decisions. However, e-WOM also has negative impacts such as inaccurate understanding and challenging to control impacts. This study aims to see the impact of e-WOM, Online Communities, and Online advertisements from people who have social media accounts that are e-WOM facilities and see their effect on Brand Loyalty and Buying Behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Special conditions during a pandemic have a different impact from general conditions. The SEM-PLS technique uses to conduct this quantitative study, and 137 respondents participate in the study. The study found that several factors influence brand loyalty and intention to buy. First, e-WOM does not influence purchase intention. Second, online communities do not influence intention to buy and brand loyalty. The results of this research will significantly help the industry develop e-WOM/electronic Word of Mouth, Online advertisements, and communities online. © 2022 IEEE.

Service failures in times of crisis: An analysis of eWOM emotionality.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt consumer experiences as well as service operations. Despite the magnitude of this exogenous shock, little is known about the pandemic's impact on consumers. Building on engagement theory, this study examines consumers' emotional responses to service failures on social media. Contributing to the brand equity literature, we test whether electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) emotionality is contingent on brand strength. To do so, we analyzed 327,205 tweets directed at airline brands over the first 12 months of the pandemic in addition to data from a nonaffected period. The models show that consumers' overall emotionality in tweets was lower during the pandemic than before it. Over the course of the pandemic, levels of joy were lower while levels of sadness and anger were more prominent in tweets directed at weaker brands. Thus, brand strength still acts as a "buffer" if service failures are caused by exogenous shocks.

EFFECTS OF BRAND ATTITUDE, PERCEIVED VALUE, AND SOCIAL WoM ON PURCHASE INTENTIONS IN LUXURY PRODUCT MARKETING

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant change in customer behavior, including in the luxury product business. One crucial part of customer behavior is purchase intention. Understanding purchase intention is an essential basis for developing various marketing innovations. This study aimed to establish a model of the interaction of factors that influence purchase intention in luxury products today, especially in Indonesia. The study used a cross-sectional study approach. This study's respondents were social media users who would buy luxury products. The research sample size was 381 users. The Lime Survey was applied to collect data and was accessed online. The questionnaire statement items used a Likert scale from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree), including Perceived Value (9 items), Social WoM (3 items), Brand Attitude (3 items), and Purchase Intention (3 items). The model validation was analyzed using bootstrapping to process the Structural Equation Model (SEM) under Smart-PIS software. The analysis results show that the three variables simultaneously (R-square = 0.419) moderately can be used to explain Purchase Intention. However, the factors that affect Purchase Intention are only Perceived Value (p-value = 0.000) and Brand Attitude (p-value = 0.000), but not Social WoM (p-value = 0.203). This study concludes that marketing innovation is critical to focus on the prestige of luxury product users through perceived value and brand attitude. Information from other users is not reliable enough to build purchase intention because luxury product users tend not to trust products from other users. Still, they believe more in the perceived prestige.