The Relationship Between Electronic Word-of-Mouth and Consumer Engagement: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

There has been a significant shift in the purchase of media by brands in the last decade. Brands have moved from spending money on the ever-present television and print media to the ubiquitous digital media of today. Consumers, however, are wary of marketing communications from companies and prefer reviews and opinions from friends or other consumers. In the new hyperconnected world, they are online reviews (i.e., electronic word-of-mouth or eWOM). Consequently, it has become imperative for marketers to measure and manage eWOM, and several companies today rely on social media command centres (SMCCs) for this. Companies use SMCCs to unearth fans and reveal influencers. The prevalent thinking is that by actively interacting with these influencers, eWOM can be positively impacted, which, in turn, may enhance the engagement of prospective customers with the brand. The present study proposes a model for the relationship between eWOM and consumer engagement (CE). Additionally, it details a comprehensive classification framework of CE and reveals both the experts’ and consumers’ perspectives in this field by adopting a grounded theory–content analysis approach. The findings suggest that eWOM leads to CE.