Which type of online review is more persuasive? The influence of consumer reviews and critic ratings on moviegoers

Due to the external cultural characteristics and the experiential nature of movies, movie reviews by professional critics and ordinary consumers can significantly influence the behavioural intentions of moviegoers. This study employed a 2 x 2 x 2 between-subject factorial design to investigate the influence of consumer expectation and online reviews on movie selection and evaluation by moviegoers. Our results indicate that, without considering the interaction effect, potential moviegoers attach greater importance to consumer reviews than they do critical reviews, and that consumer reviews influence their movie selection as well as their post-viewing evaluation. The influence of negative consumer reviews on movie selection is stronger than that of positive consumer reviews. In contrast, positive consumer reviews are more influential in the evaluation of movies than are negative reviews. Consumer expectations were found to moderate the influence of consumer review valence on movie selections and subsequent evaluations. In addition, moviegoers with lower expectations toward a movie were more inclined to be influenced by consumer WOM and expert opinions. Managerial implications for online marketing managers and limitations are also discussed.