The structure of most if not all markets is best described as imperfect; firms hold more information and know more about the brands they sell than consumers (Erdem and Swait 1998; Mishra et al. 1998). This leaves many consumers in a situation where they need and want more information about firms and brands because itreduces perceived risks and helps them with their purchase decisions (Trifts and Haubl 2003). At the same time, the power of a growing number of social media and information sharing websites has created an environment in which brands find it increasingly difficult to hide when things go wrong (Ward and Ostrom 2006).
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