Abstract
The rapid proliferation and adoption of social media have transformed the media and communications landscape; upending the way consumers search for product/service information, how they learn and engage with brands. Moreover, social media provides consumers with a platform where they can form communities around their favourite brands and interests, having abilities to critic and evaluate products and services collectively. Consequently, consumers are no longer passive receivers of marketing information; they no longer rely only on marketer-generated information, but rather leverage more on user-generated reviews and consumption-related experiences abundantly available on social media. This had led to consumers becoming more informed and empowered, resulting in a shift in marketing control from marketers to consumers. Marketers, in an attempt to circumvent consumer scepticism and defence mechanisms, have established online presences, with some marketers disguising their marketing efforts by adopting marketing strategies such as seeding viral campaigns and stealth marketing. Discerning credible and authentic reviews and recommendations from manipulated social media-driven word-of-mouth (WOM) is now therefore a challenge to consumers.
This study seeks to advance understanding into the evaluation criteria used by Generation Y in determining authenticity of information, by investigating the influence of different factors namely: source credibility, social-tie strength, homophily, authority and interestingness in their credibility judgements of social media-driven WOM. With limited research studies having been conducted in South Africa on social media, and with the primary focus of these studies being in the areas regarding its impact on consumer decision-making processes and marketing communications, this study seeks to advance understanding on credibility judgments of social media WOM. Moreover, no formal study could be found that has focused exclusively on Generation Y and the fast-food industry in the country.
A quantitative research approach was adopted, with the research design being descriptive. Data was collected through a survey study, using a structured questionnaire. Stratified sampling was applied in drawing the sample units, with the two major cities of Gauteng namely, Pretoria and Johannesburg each constituting a stratum. Furthermore, the fast food outlets were also stratified according to the different types of fast-food they represent, with random proportional samples drawn from each respective fast-food brand in each city. Data was analysed through performing ANOVAs, significance testing, factor analysis, correlation testing and regression analysis with the help from the Statistical Consultation Service of the University of Johannesburg...
M.Com. (Marketing Management)