The effects of incentivized word-of-month on brand equity | |
| Author | Chompunuch Pongjit |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.SM-16-01 |
| Subject(s) | Consumers--Attitudes Brand name products--Management Branding (Marketing) |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management, School of Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | This study examines the impact of incentivized word-of-mouth (WOM) on consumer‟s evaluations of brand attitude, brand trust, and brand personality. Conceptualizing the theory of social relations and the persuasion knowledge model, this study offers empirical evidence of a referral reward‟s possible effects on a brand that sponsors an incentivized WOM communication. Both monetary and non-monetary referral rewards are examined, together with different types of social relationships, authority ranking, communal sharing, and market pricing that consumers may experience in WOM marketing situations. The results from a 3x3 experimental design confirm that when a reward is used to stimulate brand referrals, it has negative effects on the referred customers‟ perceptions of the brand. The harmful effect of a reward becomes even stronger when a monetary reward is involved. The findings also validate the importance of source expertise in an incentivized WOM communication. Companies are advised to utilize an expert source that is seen by consumers when organizing a WOM marketing program. |
| Year | 2016 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Management (SOM) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Master of Business Administration (MBA) (Publication code=SM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Vatcharapol Sukhotu; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Badir, Yuosre;Poompat Saengudomlert;Beise-Zee, Rian;Patti, Charles H.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Royal Thai Government Fellowship; |