Will They Walk or Will They Talk? Comparing Chinese and American Consumers

As the business world becomes less company driven and more customer-oriented, increasing loyalty becomes a critical factor to building a successful company (Zahay et al. 2012). Such loyalty is not easy to earn, but in the increasingly socially connected world, customers who are brand advocates serve as a key marketing tool (Sen and Lerman 2007). In effect, as a free resource that consumers can avail of at any time and from multiple sources, word of mouth (WOM) not only allows customers to tell their consumption stories and share their opinions, but it also allows them to research a seemingly independent view of a business (Moore 2012). As such, research abounds on the motivations driving WOM, whether positive or negative, such as self-enhancement, anger and retaliation, altruism, brand love, and many others (De Angelis et al. 2012).