Using Online Conversations to Study Word-of-Mouth Communication

Managers are very interested in word-of-mouth communication because they believe that a product's success is related to the word of mouth that it generates. However, there are at least three significant challenges associated with measuring word of mouth. First, how does one gather the data? Because the information is exchanged in private conversations, direct observation traditionally has been difficult. Second, what aspect of these conversations should one measure? The third challenge comes from the fact that word of mouth is not exogenous. While the mapping from word of mouth to future sales is of great interest to the firm, we must also recognize that word of mouth is an outcome of past sales. Our primary objective is to address these challenges. As a context for our study, we have chosen new television (TV) shows during the 1999–2000 seasons. Our source of word-of-mouth conversations is Usenet, a collection of thousands of newsgroups with diverse topics. We find that online conversations may offer an easy and cost-effective opportunity to measure word of mouth. We show that a measure of the dispersion of conversations across communities has explanatory power in a dynamic model of TV ratings.word of mouth, diffusion of innovations, measurement, networks and marketing, new product research, Internet marketing

Multispectrum rotational states distribution thermometry: application to the 3ν₁ + ν₃ band of carbon dioxide

Abstract In this paper we propose multispectrum rotational states distribution thermometry as an optical method for primary thermometry. It relies on a global fitting of multiple absorption lines of the same band at different pressures. The approach allows leveraging both the temperature-dependent Doppler width and the temperature-dependent distribution of line intensities across the ro-vibrational band. We provide a proof-of-principle demonstration of the approach on the 3ν 1 + ν 3 band of CO2, for which several accurate line-strength models of both theoretical and experimental origin are available for the global fitting. Our experimental conditions do not allow to test the methodology beyond a combined uncertainty of 530 ppm, but the comparative analysis between different line-strength models shows promise to reduce the error budget to few tens of ppm. As compared to Doppler-broadening thermometry, the approach is advantageous to mitigate systematic errors induced by a wrong modelling of absorption line-shapes and to reduce, for a given experimental dataset, the statistical uncertainty by a factor of 2. When applied in a reverse way, i.e. using a gas of known temperature, the approach becomes a stringent testbed for the accuracy of the adopted line-strength model.</jats:p

Multispectrum Rotational States Distribution Thermometry

reserved14We exploit a widely tunable comb-locked frequency-swept synthesizer to test a new optical approach to primary gas thermometry based on a global fitting of multiple molecular absorption lines of the same band at different pressures.mixedGotti R.; Lamperti M.; Gatti D.; Wojtewicz S.; Puppe T.; Mayzlin Y.; Alsaif B.; Robinson-Tait J.; Rohde F.; Wilk R.; Leisching P.; Kaenders W.G.; Laporta P.; Marangoni M.Gotti, R.; Lamperti, M.; Gatti, D.; Wojtewicz, S.; Puppe, T.; Mayzlin, Y.; Alsaif, B.; Robinson-Tait, J.; Rohde, F.; Wilk, R.; Leisching, P.; Kaenders, W. G.; Laporta, P.; Marangoni, M

Social Functions of Anger: A Competitive Mediation Model of New Product Reviews

Negative online product reviews generated by current users can influence potential adopters\u27 new product evaluation and set up diffusion barriers. Integrating the social functions of emotion theory with the innovation diffusion context, this research proposes that the emotional intensity expressed in angry online reviews influences potential adopters\u27 new product evaluation through two competitive routes (i.e., in an opposite direction): perceived problem seriousness in the review and perceived rationality of the reviewer, thus establishing two simultaneous mediations in the conceptual framework. Furthermore, this research suggests that the two mediations are moderated by product innovativeness. This investigation was completed in three experiments with consumers recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Study 1 manipulated anger intensity in two levels expressed in a single negative review, using a smartphone as the reviewed new product. Study 2 employed a multi-review setting, including negative, neutral, and positive reviews, using an E-reader as the reviewed new product. The multi-review setting was also adopted in Study 3, where three levels of anger were manipulated. Three studies adopted an incrementally versus really new product version to manipulate innovativeness. Combined findings of the three studies support the proposed dual mediation processes. In addition, results show that the mediation effect of problem seriousness in the review is stronger for a really new product than an incrementally new product. This research extends the underpinning of innovation diffusion literature and provides managerial implications for new product launch management. First, it identifies that anger intensity expressed in a new product review socially influences a potential adopter\u27s concurrent appraisals of the reviewed product and the reviewer. The two appraisal routes mediate the impact of anger intensity on new product evaluation in opposite directions. Second, the research explores and identifies which mediation route is more influential on new product evaluation when product innovativeness varies