The Dual Nature of Spreading Negative eWOM for Branded Offers: Emotional Reaction or Social Response? – A Structured Abstract

Abstract

The exchange of comments online about branded offers is defined in the literature as electronic word of mouth (eWOM). Most of the existing academic research on consumer behaviour focuses on positive emotions and behaviour about branded offers (Veloutsou and McAlonan 2012; Zarantonello et al. 2016). However, next to sharing positive comments, consumers are increasingly using online media to distribute unfavourable experiences and opinions about products and brands (Ullrich and Brunner 2015), and more research on the effects of the expression of negative comments online is needed. The negative electronic word of mouth (NeWOM) is defined in this study as negative statements made or distributed by individuals about an object (in this case a brand), posted on a public online space such as online retailer sites, social networking sites or blogs. The understanding of the mechanisms that drive negative behaviour is of high importance for companies that want to increase their customer base, and there is a call for more research on how negative relationships actually work (Fournier and Alvarez 2013). With the exception of some qualitative studies that have addressed motivations for engaging in eWOM in brand-related conversation (Hennig-Thurau et al. 2004; Sundaram et al. 1998), no systematic research has investigated drivers of NeWOM beyond dissatisfaction. An important question which arises is if NeWOM is only motivated by consumer’s reaction against the company or if it is motivated by consumer’s desire of contributing to the community. The purpose of this study is to analyse the motivations for NeWoM going beyond dissatisfaction and paying special attention to the mediating role of social motivations. According to Hennig-Thurau et al. (1994), engaging in eWOM is not something people do only for themselves (vengeance); they also share their experiences to help other consumers.