Work

What happens in Vegas stays on TripAdvisor? Computerized text analysis of narrativity in online consumer reviews

Year: 2017

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: Whether reviewing material or experiential purchases, online consumer reviews are the most influential form of word-of-mouth after recommendations from family and friends.Despite their relevance, extant contributions largely ignore reviews of experiential purchases.Taking a narratological perspective, this article distinguishes between elements of narrative content and narrative expression, the "what" and "how" of storytelling and experience reviews.The authors integrate narrative content elements derived from previous literature, conceptualize genre as a narrative expression element whose changing emotions create five story shapes, and conceive drama as a narrative expression element with climactic emotions in one of two possible locations.The authors test the persuasive effects of the elements with a computerized text analysis of 190,461 reviews of 989 experiences on TripAdvisor.Beyond the narrative content elements, the narrative expression elements contribute to additional variance in narrative persuasion.

Source: City Research Online (City University London)

Authors: Tom van Laer, Jennifer Edson Escalas, Stephan Ludwig, Ellis A. van den Hende

Institutions: City, University of London, Vanderbilt University, University of Westminster, Delft University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Digital Marketing and Social Media

Subfield: Marketing

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W2286538809

FWCI: 3.688

Cites: 38

Cited by: 7

Related to: 10