Webcare and brand evaluations optimizing webcare strategies for service brands

Abstract

Keeping in mind the growing significance of online reviews, management of responses to the customer reviews Webcare, has been gaining acceptance in recent times among businesses. Unlike the traditional complaint redressal processes and channels, how a firm responds to online reviews can send a signal to the readers of the reviews contributing to their brand evaluations. Strategically examining, a firm needs to optimize the resources spent in responding to all reviews or a select few depending upon their likely influence of the brand. This thesis aims to provide understanding of how exhaustive-selective webcare strategies influence brand evaluations. Exhaustive strategy is when a brand responds to all reviews while a selective strategy is when a brand selectively responds to either positive or negative reviews. It also explores the role of contextual variables such as review balance, review frame and response time as moderators on such influences. newline