Word of mouth: How upward social comparisons influence the sharing of consumption experiences

Ana Vázquez, Li Dub and Ana Belén del Río Lanza

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: An outcome of upward social comparisons that has been largely overlooked is its effect on non-transactional behaviours (i.e. word of mouth). Previous research has identified three different emotional reactions to upward social comparisons: admiration, benign envy and malicious envy. Despite the fact that their effect on consumption has been previously analysed, it remains unclear how these reactions affect word of mouth intention. This study carries out an experimental design that demonstrates that admiration and benign envy positively influence word of mouth behaviour. However, there is no effect of malicious envy on such disposition. The results are sustained under different cultural contexts. The findings shed light on the drivers of word of mouth. They offer guidance to companies for developing more effective strategies to encourage both brand message sharing and consumer-to-consumer sharing of consumption experiences.

Keywords: Word of Mouth; Social Comparisons; Benign Envy; Malicious Envy; Admiration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M10 M30 M31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pra:mprapa:120089

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