Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the influence of word-of-mouth on purchasing decisions?

Kate Jeonghee Byun, Jimi Park, Shijin Yoo and Minhee Cho

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2023, vol. 74, issue C

Abstract: The COVID-19 outbreak has led to drastic changes in influential media for purchasing decisions. Which media have been used more frequently after COVID-19? Do these changes differ between product types? To provide insights into these questions, we analyzed 12,000 respondents between 2018 and 2021. The results show that the influence of word-of-mouth on purchase decisions decreased after COVID-19, while the influence of social media advertising increased. We also find that the influence is moderated by product type; for example, video advertising, a subset of social media advertising shows a higher influence for search goods than for experience goods.

Keywords: Media usage; Word-of-mouth; Social media advertising; Video advertising; COVID-19 pandemic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:74:y:2023:i:c:s0969698923001583

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103411

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