Impact of Electronic Word of Mouth (e-WOM) on Brand Image and Online Purchase Intention: The Perspective of Bangladesh

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) on brand image and online purchase intention of shopping products among Bangladeshi consumers. Bangladesh is experiencing rapid growth in terms of e-business and e-commerce. Consequently, the practice of online shopping is gaining popularity in Bangladesh; investigation regarding the impact of e-WOM and brand image on online purchase intention has remained mostly unexplored in Bangladeshi context. Therefore, it will be an interesting finding to see how e-WOM affects the brand image and online purchase intention of shopping products in Bangladesh. Necessary data is collected through a structured online questionnaire from 233 Bangladeshi university students who are familiar with e-WOM and online purchase phenomenon. Non-probability convenience sampling technique is used for sample selection. Overall data were analysed with the help of IBM SPSS Statistics 22 and AMOS version.23 Structural equation modeling (SEM). Results from data analysis show that e-WOM affects both brand image and purchase intention positively. This present study on Bangladeshi consumers’ online buying intention could provide a better understanding of customer adoption of the Internet as a shopping and transaction channel. Findings of this research can help marketers to improve online shopping practice in Bangladesh. As the growth of e-commerce in Bangladesh, there is a crucial need to be aware of what makes Bangladeshi consumers shop online. Furthermore, the research could hypothetically subsidize to the literature of e-WOM on the online purchase intention in Bangladesh.