Research On The Effects Of Microblog Negative Word-of-mouth To Consumers' Brand Switching Intentions

With the heated development of internet and online social media,microblog has penetrated deeply into our everyday life,changing the way people sending and receiving information.This is especially true in consumption choice making scenarios.On microblog platform,negative WOM exerts great influence on consumers' brand awareness and choices,with its broadness in range,speediness in communication and deepness in effects.Therefore,it is more likely for brand switching intention to happen on microblog than in other places when negative WOM take place.Consumers as a result switch to substitutes for services or products.The importance of negative WOM is well aware by scholars and entrepreneurs domestic and abroad.However,the real elements that have led to brand switching caused by negative WOM remain to be found.Existing researches lack on-field experiments and still remain in the theoretical period.I am going to look deeply into the true relation between negative WoM and brand switching intentions on microblog,a platform with its unique connections and interactions system.Literature deductive methods and empirical approaches will be applied.First of all,I went through related theories related to negative WOM,brand involvement,consumer brand switching intentions and especially relations among these phenomena.From the characteristics of WOM information,WOM information producers and receivers,I attempted to find the key elements.Secondly,I conducted sampling,surveying and data collecting.With the data acquired,I was able to construct models using descriptive statistics,confidence test,correlation analysis and regression analysis.My conclusions are as follows.(1)Greater information quantity,objectiveness and communication strength will lead to greater brand switching intentions.(2)Higher specialization level of information producers and closer sender-receiver relationship will both result in greater intentions of brand switching.Between them,specialization level plays a more important role.(3)Level of product involvement is another element that may lead to brand switching intention.Besides,it is also interconnected with other elements.Higher involvement level lead to greater effect of objectiveness to brand switching intentions,while adversely affect senders,specialization's role in brand switching intention.Based on the above.findings,I give 5 recommendations to brand mangers.First,Enterprises should never neglect the effect of negative WOM.Second,Enterprises should take microblog as a special mean of communication with consumers.Third,Enterprises must react faster in finding and dealing with negative WOMs.Fourth,opinion leadership is especially critical to online brand management.Finally,Enterprises should try every possible way to increase consumers' awareness to products and services.