Online brand communities create the risk of significant problems – negative electronic word of mouth (eWOM) that receives substantial support from other customers in a short period of time. Detecting, preventing and mitigating the virality of negative eWOM is a critical managerial priority, but most companies lack guidelines.
This study not only identifies the sources of such problems, but also details the appropriate sequences that companies should use when responding to them.
Specifically, the study reveals (1) how sender and relational aspects help detect potential problems in online brand communities, (2) how companies should adapt their responses to limit the virality of negative eWOM when issuing responses, and (3) how structured sequences of different responses across multiple enterprise messages mitigate the impact of this type of online problem.