Influencers vs the power of the crowd: A research about social influence on digital era

Abstract

Opinion leader recommendations (OL’ eWOM) and Online Consumer Reviews (OCR) are the two most important ways to know about new brands on the Internet. This research analyzed which source provides more credible information: OL' eWOM or OCR. A sample of 146 university students was randomly divided into three groups (OL, OCR, Control Group) in an online experiment field. A Nonparametric Analysis of Variance (N par Test) with the Omnibus Kruskal-Wallis Test was conducted between groups with OL' eWOM, OCR, and CG. The results evidenced that OCRs are a more useful source of information than OL’ eWOM and when the consumer shopping experience was included, this influence is even stronger. As more online shopping experience a consumer has, the less they are influenced by OLs.

Keywords

• opinion leader recommendations
• online consumer reviews
• social influence
• experimental design
• online shopping experience