Preannouncement messages: impetus for electronic word-of-mouth

To enhance public opinion, firms must establish effective communication strategies before introducing new products to the market. One of the most popular strategies is to make new product preannouncements (NPPs) to attract consumer attention and create positive buzz. The authors of this paper offer theoretical insights into the relationship between NPPs and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). They conduct three experiments to investigate the effects of NPP message clarity and brand characteristics on eWOM. In Study 1, they find that consumers are more likely to disseminate eWOM when NPPs have high rather than low clarity. In Study 2, they show that brand familiarity moderates the effects of NPP message clarity. In Study 3, they show that brand preference moderates the effects. Marketers can use the findings to establish more effective NPP communication strategies that signal brand information. Theoretical implications are discussed.