An Exxon rep has highlighted the importance of word-of-mouth recommendation in the digital age
Trawling online reviews Image: Marcus van der Chijs |
In a recent interview with SZ Auto Sina, Lv Zhichao, public relations manager for ExxonMobil's passenger car oil division, stressed the importance of building a brand reputation in the age of social media and instant messaging.
Speaking at a south China auto show, Lv claimed that in a digital age social media apps such as Weibo and Weixin were key to communicating with customers.
He also noted that brands should take time to build reputation via word of mouth recommendations across various platforms and stressed that, above all else, brands need to be transparent with customers as fabrications or exaggerations are quickly discovered.
ExxonMobil's focus remains on promoting the heritage and quality of their lubricants, while also working to build a brand identity through positive customer interactions. This is especially important in China, claims Lv, where people are less inclined to service their own vehicles and are generally happier to pay a professional mechanic.
Research from Birmingham University Business School also suggests that British and Chinese consumers are most likely to be influenced by electronic word of mouth recomendations. The study, which asked both British and Chinese consumers to rank their purchase intentions of buying items on a scale of 1 to 10 after reading online reviews, found that respondents were largely unaffected by reading positive reviews, but were significantly more likely to alter their purchasing intentions after reading negative reviews.
Dr Christoudoulies, who lead the study, said marketers should not overlook conversations about their products and should "make sure they have mechanisms to promptly rectify a negative customer experience to deter negative e-WOM (word of mouth)".