Electronic Word of Mouth Impacts: A Spotlight on Customer Integration
Bettina Lis, Marian Horst · Journal of Media Business Studies · 2013
Developing an innovative value creation process is linking customer integration to electronic WOM (eWOM). Providers and users are to be effectively interconnected at an early stage of that process. Consumers turn to kind of providers by giving input and feedback to the providers. The objective is to make users become part of the brand intending to consequently develop better commitment, strengthened brand trust as well as an increased willingness to pay. Data was gathered by means of an online consumer questionnaire, measuring how customer integration via eWOM communication supports the customer’s relation to the provider. In this context, it was then analysed to what extent such interaction has lasting influence on the increase of commitment, stabilization of brand trust and a positive adaptation of the willingness to pay. The result of the analysis is that customer integration with eWOM positively affects the analysed subjects of commitment, brand trust and willingness to pay.