This document defines and discusses word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing, including traditional interpersonal WOM as well as electronic WOM (eWOM) via the internet. WOM is defined as informal communications between individuals about products and services, with the sender perceived as non-commercial. eWOM expands this to include online communications available to many. Positive WOM provides satisfied customer information, while negative WOM warns of dissatisfaction. The impact of WOM depends on the sender, receiver, context, and message characteristics, with outcomes including affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses from receivers.

2. all informal communications directed at
other consumers about the ownership,
usage, or characteristics of particular
goods and services or their sellers
(Westbrook, 1987)

3. WOM can be any oral and personal
communication, positive or negative, about a
brand, product, service, or organization, in
which the receiver of the message perceives
the sender to have a non-commercial
intention (Arndt, 1967).

4. Assael (1992) defined word-of mouth to be
communication between two or more of
individuals, for instance, reference groups,
customers and/or sellers.

5. Electronic Word of mouth (EWOM):
‘any positive or negative statements made
by potential, actual, or former customers
about a product or company, which is made
available to a multitude of people and
institutions via the Internet’ (Henning-Thurau
et al. 2004).

6. Difference between WOM and EWOM:
interpersonal WOM is traditionally shared
face to face between people who are familiar
with one another. While eWOM’s
communication flow also can be among
people who are personally familiar with one
another (e.g., friends on Facebook), there is
potential for a greater degree of variability in
the familiarity among friends in electronic
networks.

7. Positive word of mouth:
Is positive information made by
satisfied customers about the
products or services they
consume, and it is more
informative.

8. Negative word of mouth:
is negative information conveyed by
consumers because of
dissatisfaction with the products or
services they consume and it tends
towards being a warning to be
careful in using the product or
service that is being communicated.

9. The most important factors in WOM:
•Characteristics of the sender and the
receiver and their interrelationship.
•The context within which interpersonal
and non-interpersonal factors interact.
•Message characteristics.

10. Outcomes of word of mouth

11. 1. Affective reactions
include a heightened emotional
state of the receiver and
enthusiasm, confidence and
optimism.

12. 2. Cognitive responses
include greater brand awareness, higher
expectations about the product and better
retrieval from memory and consideration of
a brand.

13. Behavioral responses
include product trial and brand switching
which have been shown to take place
through contagion between consumers.