Stimulating WOM and Raising Purchase Intent for Green Fashion Through Brand Experience
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t7079Abstract
In global markets increasingly driven by customer reviews and recommendations, stimulating positive Word of Mouth (WOM) as part of corporate marketing activities has become a prerequisite for product success. Consequently, marketers must gain a better understanding of how beneficial WOM can be triggered and enhanced through targeted brand experiences, which allow companies to plan, implement and control the contact between user and product more effectively, as well as raise purchase intent. The article sheds light on this issue for the case of the green market, by analyzing a large-scale product testing campaign (N = 959) for a green fashion brand and investigating the effects of eco-opinion leaders' communication with potential users. In reference to its findings, a structural equation model will be developed to illustrate the effects of a pre-launch product testing as trigger for WOM. A supporting framework for the optimization of WOM results shall be introduced in conclusion, discussing how to utilize trusted brand ambassadors and green conversation triggers to achieve viral penetration, while at the same time controlling risks of negative WOM.
Keywords: Word of Mouth (WOM), green brands, opinion leaders, viral promotion, launch strategy, purchase intent
References
Abimbola, T., & Kocak, A. (2007). Brand, organization identity and reputation: SMEs as expressive organizations: A resources-based perspective. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 10(4), 416-430. doi:10.1108/13522750710819748
Arndt, J. (1967). “Role of Product-Related Conversations in the Diffusion of a New Product.” Journal of Marketing Research, 4(3), 291–295. doi:10.2307/3149462
Baker, W. E. (2003). Does brand name imprinting in memory increase brand information retention? Psychology & marketing, 20(2), 1119-1135. doi:10.1002/mar.10111
Berger, J., & Milkman, K. L. (2013). Emotion and virality: what makes online content go viral? GfK Marketing Intelligence Review, 5(1), 18-23.
Berger, J., & Schwartz, E. M. (2011). What drives immediate and ongoing word of mouth? Journal of Marketing Research, 48(5), 869-880. doi:10.1509/jmkr.48.5.869
Berthon, P. R., Pitt, L. F., McCarthy, I., & Kates, S. M. (2007). When customers get clever: Managerial approaches to dealing with creative consumers. Business Horizons, 50(1), 39-47. doi:10.1108/sd.2007.05623had.010
Biswas, D., Labrecque, L. I., Lehmann, D. R., & Markos, E. (2014). Making choices while smelling, tasting, and listening: The role of sensory (dis)similarity when sequentially sampling products. Journal of Marketing, 78, 112-126. doi:10.1509/jm.12.0325
Bone, P. F. (1995). Word-of-mouth effects on short-term and long-term product judgments. Journal of business research, 32(3), 213-223. doi:10.1016/0148-2963(94)00047-i
Brennan, L., & Binney, W. (2008). Is it green marketing, greenwash or hogwash? We need to know if we want to change things. Partnerships, Proof and Practice - International Nonprofit and Social Marketing Conference 2008, University of Wollongong, 15-16 July 2008.
Bughin, J., Doogan, J., & Vetvik, O. J. (2010). A new way to measure word-of-mouth marketing. McKinsey Quarterly, 2, 113-116.
Burcher, N. (2012). Paid, Owned, Earned: Maximising Marketing Returns in a Socially Connected World. London: Kogan Page Publishers.
Burmester, A. B., Becker, J. U., van Heerde, H. J., & Clement, M. (2015). The impact of pre-and post-launch publicity and advertising on new product sales. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 32(4), 408-417. doi:10.1016/j.ijresmar.2015.05.005
Chen, Y. S., & Chang, C. H. (2013). Greenwash and green trust: The mediation effects of green consumer confusion and green perceived risk. Journal of Business Ethics, 114(3), 489-500. doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1360-0
Cherian, J., & Jacob, J. (2012). Green marketing: A study of consumers’ attitude towards environment friendly products. Asian social science, 8(12), 117-126. doi:10.5539/ass.v8n12p117
Cheung, C. M., & Lee, M. K. (2012). What drives consumers to spread electronic word of mouth in online consumer-opinion platforms. Decision support systems, 53(1), 218-225. doi:10.1016/j.dss.2012.01.015
Cheung, C. M., & Thadani, D. R. (2012). The impact of electronic word-of-mouth communication: A literature analysis and integrative model. Decision support systems, 54(1), 461-470. doi:10.1016/j.dss.2012.06.008
Chu, S. C., & Kim, Y. (2011). Determinants of consumer engagement in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites. International Journal of Advertising, 30(1), 47-75. doi:10.2501/ija-30-1-047-075
Cova, B., & Cova, V. (2002). Tribal marketing: The tribalisation of society and its impact on the conduct of marketing. European journal of marketing, 36(5/6), 595-620. doi:10.1108/03090560210423023
Cronin, J. J., Smith, J. S., Gleim, M. R., Ramirez, E., & Martinez, J. D. (2011). Green marketing strategies: an examination of stakeholders and the opportunities they present. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 39(1), 158-174. doi:10.1007/s11747-010-0227-0
Dangelico, R. M., & Vocalelli, D. (2017). “Green Marketing”: an analysis of definitions, strategy steps, and tools through a systematic review of the literature. Journal of Cleaner Production, 165(1), 1263-1279. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.07.184
Daugherty, T., & Hoffman, E. (2014). eWOM and the importance of capturing consumer attention within social media. Journal of Marketing Communications, 20(1-2), 82-102. doi:10.1080/13527266.2013.797764
Davis, J. A. (2010). Competitive success, How branding adds value. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons.
Dichter, E. (1966). How word-of-mouth advertising works. Harvard business review, 44(6), 147-160.
Do Paco, A., & Raposo, M. (2009). “Green” segmentation: an application to the Portuguese consumer market. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 27(3), 364-379. doi:10.1108/02634500910955245
Feick, L. F., & Price, L. L. (1987). The market maven: A diffuser of marketplace information. The Journal of Marketing, 51, 83-97. doi:10.2307/1251146
Ferguson, R. (2008). Word of mouth and viral marketing: taking the temperature of the hottest trends in marketing. Journal of consumer marketing, 25(3), 179-182. doi:10.1108/07363760810870671
Flynn, L. R., Goldsmith, R. E., & Eastman, J. K. (1996). Opinion leaders and opinion seekers: Two new measurement scales. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 24(2), 137-147.
doi:10.1177/0092070396242004
Fox, G. L., Bai, Y., & Byun, K. A. (2015). A Rhetorical Perspectve on Quelling Negative Word-of-Mouth. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, 8(1), 42-59. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-10951-0_28
Fraj, E., & Martinez, E. (2007). Ecological consumer behaviour: an empirical analysis. International journal of consumer studies, 31(1), 26-33. doi:10.1111/j.1470-6431.2006.00565.x
Ginsberg, J. M., & Bloom, P. N. (2004). Choosing the right green-marketing strategy. MIT Sloan management review, 46(1), 79-84.
Godes, D., & Mayzlin, D. (2009). Firm-created word-of-mouth communication: Evidence from a field test. Marketing Science, 28(4), 721-739. doi:10.1287/mksc.1080.0444
Grant, J. (2007). The Green Marketing Manifesto. Hoboken: Wiley.
Gruen, T. W., Osmonbekov, T., & Czaplewski, A. J. (2006). eWOM: The impact of customer-to-customer online know-how exchange on customer value and loyalty. Journal of Business research, 59(4), 449-456. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2005.10.004
Groeger, L., & Buttle, F. (2014). Word-of-mouth marketing influence on offline and online communications: Evidence from case study research. Journal of Marketing Communications, 20(1-2), 21-41. doi:10.1080/13527266.2013.797736
Gupta, P., & Harris, J. (2010). How e-WOM recommendations influence product consideration and quality of choice: A motivation to process information perspective. Journal of Business Research, 63(9), 1041-1049. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2009.01.015
Hammedi, W., Kandampully, J., Zhang, T. T., & Bouquiaux, L. (2015). Online customer engagement: creating social environments through brand community constellations. Journal of service management, 26(5), 777-806. doi:10.1108/josm-11-2014-0295
Hanna, R., Rohm, A., & Crittenden, V. L. (2011). We’re all connected: The power of the social media ecosystem. Business horizons, 54(3), 265-273.
Hasan, S. A., Subhani, M. I., & Osman, M. (2012). The crux of green marketing: an empirical effusive study. European Journal of Social Sciences (EJSS), 27(3), 425 – 435.
Ho, J. Y., & Dempsey, M. (2010). Viral marketing: Motivations to forward online content. Journal of Business research, 63(9), 1000-1006. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2008.08.010
Huang, M., Cai, F., Tsang, A. S., & Zhou, N. (2011). Making your online voice loud: the critical role of WOM information. European Journal of Marketing, 45(7/8), 1277-1297. doi:10.1108/03090561111137714
Huang, Y. C., Yang, M., & Wang, Y. C. (2014). Effects of green brand on green purchase intention. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 32(3), 250-268. doi:10.1108/mip-10-2012-0105
Keh, H. T., & Xie, Y. (2009). Corporate reputation and customer behavioral intentions: The roles of trust, identification and commitment. Industrial marketing management, 38(7), 732-742. doi:10.1016/j.indmarman.2008.02.005
Kahn, K. B. (2010). New‐Product Forecasting. Malden: John Wiley & Sons.
Keillor, B. D. (2007). Marketing in the 21st Century: New world marketing. Westport: Praeger Publishers.
Kempf, D. S. (1999). Attitude formation from product trial: Distinct roles of cognition and affect for hedonic and functional products. Psychology & Marketing, 16(1), 35-50. doi:10.1002/(sici)1520-6793(199901)16:1<35::aid-mar3>3.3.co;2-l
King, C. W., & Summers, J. O. (1970). Overlap of opinion leadership across consumer product categories. Journal of Marketing Research, 7, 43-50. doi:10.2307/3149505
Kim, H., & Hanssens, D. M. (2017). Advertising and Word-of-Mouth Effects on Pre-launch Consumer Interest and Initial Sales of Experience Products. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 37, 57-74. doi:10.1016/j.intmar.2016.08.001
Kim, J. Y., Natter, M., & Spann, M. (2014). Sampling, discounts or pay-what-you-want: Two field experiments. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 31(3), 327-334. doi:10.1016/j.ijresmar.2014.03.005
Kim, W. C., & Mauborgne, R. (2007). Blue ocean strategy. Leadership Excellence, 9, 20-21.
Köse, Ş. G., & Enginkaya, E. (2017). Fashion Customers’ E-Wom Behavior: An Exploratory Study. EJMS European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 5(1), 479-486. doi:10.26417/ejms.v5i1.p479-479
Kozinets, R. V., De Valck, K., Wojnicki, A. C., & Wilner, S. J. (2010). Networked narratives: Understanding word-of-mouth marketing in online communities. Journal of marketing, 74(2), 71-89. doi:10.1509/jmkg.74.2.71
Kramer, R. M. (Ed.) (2006). Organizational trust: A reader. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Lee, K. (2008). Opportunities for green marketing: young consumers. Marketing intelligence & planning, 26(6), 573-586. doi:10.1108/02634500810902839
Lee, Y., & Colarelli O'Connor, G. (2003). The impact of communication strategy on launching new products: The moderating role of product innovativeness. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 20(1), 4-21. doi:10.1111/1540-5885.t01-1-201002
Lewicki, R. J., & Wiethoff, C. (2000). Trust, trust development, and trust repair. The handbook of conflict resolution: Theory and practice, 1(1), 86-107.
Libai, B., Muller, E., & Peres, R. (2009). The social value of word-of-mouth programs: acceleration versus acquisition. Tel Aviv University, Working Paper.
Li, F., & Du, T. C. (2011). Who is talking? An ontology-based opinion leader identification framework for word-of-mouth marketing in online social blogs. Decision Support Systems, 51(1), 190-197. doi:10.1016/j.dss.2010.12.007
Li, Y. M., Lin, C. H., & Lai, C. Y. (2010). Identifying influential reviewers for word-of-mouth marketing. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 9(4), 294-304. doi:10.1016/j.elerap.2010.02.004
Lubin, D. A., & Esty, D. C. (2010). The sustainability imperative. Harvard business review, 88(5), 42-50.
Magnusson, M. K., Arvola, A., Hursti, U. K. K., Åberg, L., & Sjödén, P. O. (2003). Choice of organic foods is related to perceived consequences for human health and to environmentally friendly behaviour. Appetite, 40(2), 109-117. doi:10.1016/s0195-6663(03)00002-3
Mahr, D., & Lievens, A. (2012). Virtual lead user communities: Drivers of knowledge creation. Research Policy, 41(1), 167–177. doi:10.1016/j.respol.2011.08.006
Martin, W. C., & Lueg, J. E. (2013). Modeling word-of-mouth usage. Journal of Business Research, 66(7), 801-808. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.06.004
May, B. (2017). Media Brand Marketing: The New Business Models. 2nd edition. London: Axix Press.
Mazzarol, T., Sweeney, J. C., & Soutar, G. N. (2007). Conceptualizing word-of-mouth activity, triggers and conditions: an exploratory study. European Journal of Marketing, 41(11/12), 1475-1494. doi:10.1108/03090560710821260
Morrison, P. D., Roberts, J. H., & Midgley, D. F. (2000). Opinion Leadership Amongst Leading Edge Users. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 8(1), 5–14. doi:10.1016/s1441-3582(00)70181-9
Muniz, A. M., & O'guinn, T. C. (2001). Brand community. Journal of consumer research, 27(4), 412-432.
Oliver, J. D., & Lee, S. H. (2010). Hybrid car purchase intentions: a cross-cultural analysis. Journal of consumer marketing, 27(2), 96-103. doi:10.1108/07363761011027204
Opreana, A., & Vinerean, S. (2015). A new development in online marketing: Introducing digital inbound marketing. Expert Journal of Marketing, 3(1), 29-34.
Ottman, J. A., Stafford, E. R., & Hartman, C. L. (2006). Avoiding green marketing myopia: Ways to improve consumer appeal for environmentally preferable products. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 48(5), 22-36. doi:10.3200/envt.48.5.22-36
Park, C., & Lee, T. M. (2009). Information direction, website reputation and eWOM effect: A moderating role of product type. Journal of Business research, 62(1), 61-67. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2007.11.017
Peattie, K. (2001). Golden goose or wild goose? The hunt for the green consumer. Business Strategy and the Environment, 10(4), 187-199. doi:10.1002/bse.292
Pickett, G. M., Kangun, N., & Grove, S. J. (1995). Implications for Public Policy Formation in Promoting Conservation Behavior. In: Polonsky, M. J., & Mintu-Wimsatt, A. T. (1995). Environmental marketing: strategies, practice, theory, and research. New York: Haworth Press, 77-99.
Pittner, M. (2014). Strategische Kommunikation für LOHAS: Nachhaltigkeitsorientierte Dialoggruppen im Lebensmitteleinzelhandel. Wiesbaden: Springer-Verlag.
Ranaweera, C., & Jayawardhena, C. (2014). Talk up or criticize? Customer responses to WOM about competitors during social interactions. Journal of Business Research, 67(12), 2645-2656. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.04.002
Raska, D., & Shaw, D. (2012). When is going green good for company image? Management Research Review, 35(3/4), 326-347. doi:10.1108/01409171211210190
Reimer, T., & Benkenstein, M. (2016). When good WOM hurts and bad WOM gains: The effect of untrustworthy online reviews. Journal of Business Research, 69(12), 5993-6001. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.05.014
Rettie, R., Burchell, K., & Barnham, C. (2014). Social normalisation: Using marketing to make green normal. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 13(1), 9-17. doi:10.1002/cb.1439
Richins, M. L. & Root-Shaffer, T. (1988). The Role of Evolvement and Opinion Leadership in Consumer Word-of-Mouth: An Implicit Model Made Explicit. Advances in Consumer Research, 15, 32–36.
Rios, F. J. M., Martinez, T. L., Moreno, F. F., & Soriano, P. C. (2006). Improving attitudes toward brands with environmental associations: an experimental approach. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 23(1), 26-33. doi:10.1108/07363760610641136
Rosenbaum-Elliott, R., Percy, L., & Pervan, S. (2015). Strategic brand management. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Royne, M. B., Levy, M., & Martinez, J. (2011). The public health implications of consumers' environmental concern and their willingness to pay for an eco‐friendly product. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 45(2), 329-343. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6606.2011.01205.x
Ryan, B., & Gross, N. C. (1943). The diffusion of hybrid seed corn in two Iowa communities. Rural sociology, 8(1), 15-24.
Ryan, D. & Jones, C. (2011). The Best Digital Marketing Campaigns in the World: Mastering The Art of Customer Engagement. London: Kogan Page Publishers.
Seitz, V., Razzouk, N., & Wells, D. M. (2010). The importance of brand equity on purchasing consumer durables: an analysis of home air-conditioning systems. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 27(3), 236-242. doi:10.1108/07363761011038301
Sheth, J. N., & Sisodia, R. S. (2015). Does marketing need reform?: Fresh perspectives on the future. Armonk: M. E. Sharpe.
Silverman, G. (2011). Secrets of word-of-mouth marketing: how to trigger exponential sales through runaway word of mouth. New York: AMACOM
Skarmeas, D., & Leonidou, C. N. (2013). When consumers doubt, watch out! The role of CSR skepticism. Journal of Business Research, 66(10), 1831-1838. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2013.02.004
Sundaram, D.S., Kaushik M, & Webster, C. (1998). Word-of-Mouth Communications: A Motivational Analysis. Advances in Consumer Research, 25(1), 527–31.
Temin, D. (2017). How United became the World's most hated airline in one day. Forbes Online, 11.04.2017, https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviatemin/2017/04/11/how-united-became-the-worlds-most-hated-airline-in-one-day/#29fcd8a761f2, accessed on 10.07.2017
Tetrault Sirsly, C. A., & Lamertz, K. (2008). When does a corporate social responsibility initiative provide a first-mover advantage? Business & Society, 47(3), 343-369. doi:10.1177/0007650307299221
Trommsdorff, V. (2009). Konsumentenverhalten. 7th Edition. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer Verlag.
Trusov, M., Bucklin, R. E., & Pauwels, K. (2009). Effects of word-of-mouth versus traditional marketing: findings from an internet social networking site. Journal of marketing, 73(5), 90-102.
doi:10.1509/jmkg.73.5.90
Tuškej, U., Golob, U., & Podnar, K. (2013). The role of consumer–brand identification in building brand relationships. Journal of business research, 66(1), 53-59. doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.07.022
Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2004). Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing. Journal of marketing, 68(1), 1-17. doi:10.1509/jmkg.68.1.1.24036
Vázquez-Casielles, R., Suárez-Álvarez, L., & del Río-Lanza, A. B. (2013). The word of mouth dynamic: How positive (and negative) WOM drives purchase probability. Journal of Advertising Research, 53(1), 43-60. doi:10.2501/jar-53-1-043-060
Venkatraman, M. P. (1990). Opinion Leadership, Enduring Involvement and Characteristics of Opinion Leaders: A Moderating or Mediating Relationship. Advances in Consumer Research, 17(1), 60–67.
Vermeir, I., & Verbeke, W. (2006). Sustainable food consumption: Exploring the consumer “attitude–behavioral intention” gap. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental ethics, 19(2), 169-194. doi:10.1007/s10806-005-5485-3
Walsh, G., Gwinner, K. P., & Swanson, S. R. (2004). What makes mavens tick? Exploring the motives of market mavens’ initiation of information diffusion. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 21(2), 109-122. doi:10.1108/07363760410525678
Williams, M., & Buttle, F. (2011). The eight pillars of WOM management: Lessons from a multiple case study. Australasian Marketing Journal (AMJ), 19(2), 85-92. doi:10.1016/j.ausmj.2011.01.001
Yang, J., Kim, W., Amblee, N., & Jeong, J. (2012). The heterogeneous effect of WOM on product sales: why the effect of WOM valence is mixed? European Journal of Marketing, 46(11/12), 1523-1538. doi:10.1108/03090561211259961
Ye, Q., Law, R., & Gu, B. (2009). The impact of online user reviews on hotel room sales. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 28(1), 180-182. doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2008.06.011
Young, W., Hwang, K., McDonald, S., & Oates, C. J. (2010). Sustainable consumption: green consumer behaviour when purchasing products. Sustainable development, 18(1), 20-31. doi:10.1002/sd.394
