WORD OF MOUTH MARKETING AND CONSUMER DECISION MAKING

ABSTRACT

This study examined and analyzed word-of-mouth marketing and consumer decision making among university students. Data were primarily sourced through the online administration of four hundred (400) questionnaire out of which same number (400) of responses were retrieved and used for the empirical analysis. The descriptive (frequency, mean and percentage) and inferential statistics (regression and t-test) were adopted for the study’s analysis. Specifically, the analysis revealed that: word-of-mouth alters a person’s knowledge about a product or brand; the frequency of positive comments was the most influencing factor of word-of-mouth marketing effectiveness; consumers consider comments and reviews when making online decisions; and there is a relationship between word-of-mouth marketing on consumer decision making. Based on these findings, it was recommended that: companies should focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences that encourage satisfied customers to share their positive feedback widely; companies should consider developing referral programs that incentivize current customers to recommend products to their peers; businesses should also focus on establishing themselves as credible sources of information; and businesses should aim to build and maintain a strong, reputable brand image that reflects reliability and quality.