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

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

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.

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  • Byun, Kate Jeonghee & Park, Jimi & Yoo, Shijin & Cho, Minhee, 2023. "Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the influence of word-of-mouth on purchasing decisions?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:74:y:2023:i:c:s0969698923001583
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103411
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