Market share is correlated with word-of-mouth volume

The volume and impact of positive and negative word of mouth (PWOM, NWOM) are investigated in relation to the market shares of brands. We find that the volumes of PWOM and NWOM are closely related to market share. By contrast, the average impact of instances of PWOM and NWOM shows no direct relationship with market share. When the direct influence of market share is removed, we find that small brands have somewhat more WOM than is warranted by their size, whereas large brands have slightly less, and this effect is stronger in the case of NWOM. The evidence presented here provides norms for evaluating WOM data and assists in the development of WOM metrics.