Using Opinion Leaders for Effective Online Word of Mouth Campaigns— An Empirical Investigation of the Top Amazon Opinion Leaders

摘要

Recent studies have revealed that firms receiving favorable electronic (or online) word of mouth (eWOM) have a better chance of increasing sales (Chevalier and Mayzlin 2006, Duan et al. 2008, Amblee and Bui 2011, Chung 2011). eWOM has been recognized as an important source of information in a consumer's buying decisions (Guernsey 2000). Consumers tend to place more trust in eWOM than in advertisements as they regard their peers as more reliable than firms that sell products (Piller 1999). Although eWOM is implemented by consumers, it can be initiated by firms as a campaign for marketing communications (Godes and Mayzlin 2009). Marketers in various industries have tried to recruit opinion leaders to increase product sales by the use of viral marketing campaigns (Cavoli 2013, Salzman et al. 2003). However, what types of opinion leaders should a firm employ in its eWOM communications and how such eWOM could benefit product sales have not been adequately examined.