Social eWOM: does it affect the brand attitude and purchase intention of brands?

TLDR: In this paper, a survey-based empirical study was conducted to examine the influence of social eWOM on brand attitude and purchase intention of consumers using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).

Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how user-generated positive social electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) via Facebook affects brand attitude and, consequently, influences purchase intention of smartphones. The spending patterns of consumers, particularly decision-makers, have been affected to a substantial degree by the strong presence of brands on the web. eWOM, one among the shape of net product reviews, exercises extensive influence not only on the consumers’ attitude towards the brand but also impacts their buying intentions. Design/methodology/approach A survey-based empirical study was conducted to examine the influence of social eWOM on brand attitude and purchase intention of consumers. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied using data collected from 311 respondents comprising users of Facebook. Findings The research established that user-generated positive eWOM on social networking site, Facebook significantly influences brand attitude and purchase intention of consumer electronics. Research limitations/implications The data set used for the study limits generalizing of results, as the data are not representative across industries or across all social media applications. The study provides a useful and interesting insight into the theory and practice of eWOM. It shows how social eWOM, an emerging communication tool, not only helps twenty-first century marketers in reaching customers, but how it also plays a vital role in affecting brand attitude and purchase intention of products. Originality/value This paper provides useful and valuable insights into the relationship between social eWOM, brand attitude and purchase intention of consumer electronics, an area that largely remains unexplored. The study can also be replicated for other products or services for future research.