The study on negative eWOM and its relationship to consumer's intention to switch Mobile Service Provider

Recent developments in social media has transformed consumer-brand trust relationship into consumer-consumer trust engagement where consumers make similar brand choices influenced by the opinion of other consumers. Consumers establish online networks and conversations embedded in trust, on similar tastes, viewpoints, preferences and other types of brand affinity behaviours. These online consumer conversations across multiple social media platforms contributes to voluminous electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). An average of 70% of consumers look out for other consumers' opinions on a brand to learn more about the products or services of interest and out of this consumer generated contents, a whopping 50% are consumer grouses or complaints. This study identifies emerging key mobile service consumption elements highlighted by consumers in discussion thread revolving a viral, negative eWOM through qualitative method of netnography. The study findings include eWOM contains multiple and relevant consumer behavioural contextual elements that may be leveraged upon to understand how negative eWOM influences mobile consumer switching intentions in Malaysia.