| Journal: | BAR - Brazilian Administration Review |
| Database: | |
| System number: | 000552912 |
| ISSN: | 1807-7692 |
| Authors: | Claro, Danny Pimentel1 Bortoluzzo, Adriana Bruscato1 |
| Institutions: | 1Insper Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa, Sao Paulo. Brasil |
| Year: | 2015 |
| Volumen: | 12 |
| Number: | 2 |
| Pages: | 209-228 |
| Country: | Brasil |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Document type: | Artículo |
| English abstract | The buzz agent is any consumer perceived by others as a source of product referral. Previous literature in word of mouth (WOM) has looked into characteristics of individuals who successfully persuade others to choose a brand. While there have been studies in this field, the literature is still scattered and little has been done to profile the consumer playing the buzz-agent role. We aim to deepen our understanding about the consumer who must be recruited as a buzz agent by a firm in a WOM marketing (WOMM) initiative. The proposed profile is comprised of three key characteristics: the consumer's position in the social community, nature of ties in the community and brand attachment. We tested our hypotheses with a survey of 542 consumers from a controlled population. Rather than relying on self-reported questions about referral behavior, we asked respondents in the population to name the individuals to whom the respondents go to obtain information to help pick a brand. This accurately pinpoints which individuals fit the profile of a buzz agent. Results show that buzz agents are popular in their social community (friends and tech experts), carry dissimilar brands as target consumers and are product experts. Our study identifies a profile of consumers that helps firms select buzz agents for WOMM initiatives. |
| Disciplines: | Economía |
| Keyword: | Condiciones económicas |
| Keyword: | Buzz agent, Word of mouth, Social community, Brand, Economic conditions |
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