Understanding the effect of smart retail brand – Consumer communications via mobile instant messaging (MIM) – An empirical study in the Chinese context

作者：

Highlights：

• This paper analyses the effect of the MIM channel on eWOM in the Chinese context.

• Empirical analysis of a Chinese retailer's use of an emerging Smart Retail Channel.

• The study employs a controlled MIM environment to analyse a smart retail channel.

• Chinese Consumers find the MIM Channel both social and involving.

摘要

•This paper analyses the effect of the MIM channel on eWOM in the Chinese context.•Empirical analysis of a Chinese retailer's use of an emerging Smart Retail Channel.•The study employs a controlled MIM environment to analyse a smart retail channel.•Chinese Consumers find the MIM Channel both social and involving.

论文关键词：Mobile instant messaging (MIM),Socialness perception,Involvement,Media richness,Word-of-mouth (WOM),WeChat

论文评审过程：Received 6 December 2016, Revised 22 July 2017, Accepted 11 August 2017, Available online 17 August 2017, Version of Record 16 October 2017.

论文官网地址：https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.08.018