Reconsidering WoM activity in the context of the customer journey: empirical evidence from an innovative, high-involvement product
(R2024-122533)

AUTHORS

Sergios Dimitriadis, Athens University of Economics and Business/Research Center; Anna Karadimitriou, Alpha Bank

ABSTRACT

Word-of-Mouth (WoM) has been studied mainly as an activity at the late stages of a buying process and, separately, as an information source in the pre-purchase stage. Using the customer journey framework, the paper brings a deeper understanding of WoM activities that happen along the customer journey. It reports findings from two consecutive qualitative studies during the introduction stage of an innovative e-cigarette device*. Study 1 mapped the journey and revealed intense WoM activity occurring in several stages of it (“WoM moments”). Study 2 focused on validating the WoM moments of study 1 and further understanding the who, when, where, how much and the emotional impact of this WoM activity. Results confirmed 6 WoM moments having different impact along the journey. Implications for research and managers are discussed.