The relative incidence of positive and negative word of mouth: A multi-category study

In 15 studies, positive word of mouth (PWOM) is more common than negative word of mouth (NWOM) in every case. The incidence ratio averages 3 to 1. Categories with high levels of NWOM tend to have high levels of PWOM, and individuals who produce NWOM also tend to produce PWOM. In follow-up studies, using two alternative measures of WOM, we confirm that PWOM occurs approximately three times as often as NWOM. Further exploratory studies indicate that most PWOM is about a consumer's main brand; as a consequence, the incidence of PWOM in a category is distributed according to brand market share. We discuss possible explanations for these results and develop six propositions to guide further research on word of mouth. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.