The Impact of E-WOM Spread through Social Networks on the Decision Making Process: a Romanian Online Community Analysis

摘要

The trigger of a viral online marketing campaign is the interpersonal influence of users who generate referrals, disseminate experiences and opinions. Studies measuring the outcome of word-of-mouth communications are insufficient in determining how such communications affect purchasing decisions. In this paper, we try to identify the role of electronic-word-of-mouth within the stages of a viral marketing recipient's decision process, by highlighting which factors would motivate such influence within an online community. The purpose of the study is to replicate a model developed initially by Arnaud De Bruyn and Gary L. Lilien, but adapt the methodology to an online social network, by giving the participants the identity of a target person and inviting them to send a referral to someone within their social network, inviting them to participate in the study. We then observe the effects of the social tie on a recipient's behavior up to the point of decision and conclude with the most representative findings and suggesting to online marketers that social networks of friends are more likely to generate referrals than others, since personal affinity is a strong influence factor.