This paper presents a way of classifying qualitative online consumer reviews (OCRs) in terms of functional and emotional dimensions and measures the direct and indirect impact of both volume and valence of OCRs on product sales. Utilizing four million online postings across 342 mobile games for thirty months, the authors use text analysis and word classification and identify 74 representative words to describe the various levels of functional OCRs consisting of product quality, product innovativeness, price acceptability, and product simplicity, and emotional OCRs including anger, fear, shame, love, contentment, and happiness. They combine the resulting OCR volumes with weekly sales, resulting in 1,835 observations for analysis with hierarchical Bayesian methods. Results suggest that the volume and valence of aggregated functional OCRs and the valence of aggregated emotional OCRs have the positive effects on sales. The volume and valence of functional OCR subcategories have mixed effects on sales and the link is moderated by the share of emotional OCR subcategories. Further, a sales forecasting model which includes 13 variables of OCR subcategories shows the best predictive validity.

We adopt a semi-grounded theory approach to investigate the impact of different review manipulation tactics. Shoppers take a negative view toward seller manipulations, but the degree of negativity varies across different tactics. Moreover, different manipulations tactics vary in the ease of detection, perceived unethicality, and the effect on consumer perceptions.

In today’s Internet society, consumers value the opinion of other consumers, and regularly seek feedback on products and services prior to making purchase decisions. This consumer-to-consumer communication (C2C) commonly occurs online, and is referred to as electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). One popular source of eWOM is online product reviews. The current research investigates the determinants of consumers’ attitudes toward online product reviews. Results indicate that perceived value and credibility of online product reviews positively impact consumer attitudes towards online product reviews. More specifically, consumers’ attitudes toward online product reviews positively influence their reliance on said reviews prior to product purchase. Additionally consumers’ attitudes toward online product reviews are positively determined by their perceptions of the credibility of online product reviews and the value of those reviews. However, the perceived value of online product reviews have a greater impact on online review attitudes than does perceived credibility of online product reviews. Further, men and women exhibit differences in their attitudes and reliance regarding online product reviews.