Analysis of commercial rumors from the perspective of marketing managers: rumor prevalence, effects, and control tactics

A.J. Kimmel and Anne-Françoise Audrain
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Anne-Françoise Audrain: Pôle de Recherche - Rouen Business School - Rouen Business School

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Abstract: This study examines commercial rumors from the perspective of marketing managers. American and French respondents (N = 133) completed a rumor questionnaire intended to assess the prevalence and types of commercial rumors that reach their ear, the severity of rumor effects, the effectiveness of rumor control tactics, and the psychological and situational variables associated with rumor onset and spread. Based on a variation of the critical incidents technique involving recalled commercial rumors, the results conform to rumor theory in terms of the psychological and situational factors (i.e. anxiety, importance, credulity, and uncertainty) underlying rumor transmission, and offer support for our proposed rumor model. The findings also highlight the prevalence and potentially negative impact of rumors in marketing sectors. As an initial attempt to discern cross-cultural differences in commercial rumor activity, preliminary findings suggest differences in effectiveness of marketing communication tactics for rumor control across the two country samples studied. Overall, the provision of requested information and attempts to increase trust emerged as the most effective rumor control tactics.

Keywords: Commercial rumors; rumor; rumor control; word of mouth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-09
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Published in Journal of Marketing Communications, 2010, Vol. 16 (n° 4), pp 239-253

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-00826287

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