EXPRESS: Putting Words in Their Mouths: Firm-Generated User Content and Consumer Sharing Behavior

Abstract

User-generated content, such as word of mouth, traditionally has been immune to firm influences. However, companies have recently started developing content and encouraging consumers to post it rather than relying solely on organic consumer-generated content. Such firm-generated user content (FGUC), which consumers can share easily, potentially alters their sharing behavior by providing specific language to be included in users’ posts. In investigating the effectiveness of FGUC, the current research addresses if and when consumers share this content and whether they alter it. It also identifies which mechanisms drive sharing decisions and the moderating effects of satisfaction. With a series of lab and field studies, the authors demonstrate that providing FGUC increases the likelihood that consumers share a post about their brand experience, by making the sharing process easier. It also tempers the extent to which dissatisfied consumers share posts, by creating incongruence with their experience. This initial, extensive assessment of the emerging FGUC phenomenon offers relevant guidance for marketers regarding when and how to use this novel tool and the potential implications for consumer welfare.