Pass it On: A Framework for Classifying the Content of Word of Mouth

While word of mouth (WOM) is regarded as a key ingredient in product success, little is known about the content of WOM given. Using an online text-mining approach, we investigated the key themes within electronic WOM (eWOM) in two entertainment categories, television programs and movies. We identify seven key themes within eWOM conversations. These are (in order of prevalence): Product/Service Characteristic (26% of comments); Personal Opinion (17%); Distribution Characteristic (15%); Categorisation Comparison (14%); Description of Purchase/Consumption Activity (10%); Advertising/Promotion (9%) and In-Market Performance (4%). There are differences across categories, largely explicable by differences in the purchase/consumption process of movies versus television programs. However, there are only minor differences for new versus returning products. Our findings highlight the value of advertising during the initial stages of a product's launch to enable consumers to form opinions early on. Furthermore, marketing activities should provide information about how people can purchase/consume the product/service, as such details are often sought and passed on via eWOM. Given that eWOM often entails a comparison of a given product against another, providing signals on appropriate comparative offerings may help marketers control the context for consumers’ understanding of the new product.