Library Dissertation Showcase

An investigation of the factors impacting word-of-mouth efficacy for consumer persuasion in fiction book buying behaviour

  • Year of Publication:
  • 2023

Word-of-Mouth is a powerful form of marketing, that has significant prevalence in the product category of fiction books. There are may theories surrounding factors that impact the efficacy of Word-of-Mouth, varying between individuals, and product categories. Literature revealed a gap in knowledge, in conflicting evidence for the efficacy of WOM in book sales. To investigate this, 12 qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data analysed with thematic analysis. Themes that were discovered are: Word-of-Mouth Source, Product Category, Self, and Elaboration Likelihood. Analysis of findings, and discussion reveal that word-of-mouth is effective in book buying behaviour, and many factors can be identified to predict efficacy. However, the factor of the self was shown to be most influential on book choice. From the findings, a model of consumer behaviour and decision making in the product category of fiction books, was created.

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