Short answer

Designers of customer engagement strategies should consider how to leverage or mitigate both positive and negative feedback, recognizing that negative sentiment can be a powerful, albeit complex, driver of brand perception.

Field: Innovation & Markets
Source: European Journal of Marketing (2020)
Method: Quantitative research using structural equation modelling.
Sample: 625 participants
Evidence: Strong effect

While positive customer engagement strongly influences word-of-mouth, negative engagement also positively impacts it, particularly within social service contexts. This innovation & markets research insight is drawn from a 2020 study published in European Journal of Marketing. Using Quantitative research using structural equation modelling. with 625 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers of customer engagement strategies should consider how to leverage or mitigate both positive and negative feedback, recognizing that negative sentiment can be a powerful, albeit complex, driver of brand perception.

Study

Innovation & MarketsHigh ImpactStrong effect

Negative Customer Engagement Drives Word-of-Mouth in Social Services

While positive customer engagement strongly influences word-of-mouth, negative engagement also positively impacts it, particularly within social service contexts.

European Journal of Marketing · 2020

Key Findings

01Involvement is a strong driver of positive customer engagement, which in turn strongly influences word-of-mouth.
02Negative customer engagement also positively drives word-of-mouth, with a stronger effect observed in social service contexts.
03The relationship between involvement and negative customer engagement is inverse, but this effect is weaker in social networking sites compared to social services.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When designing customer feedback mechanisms or social media engagement strategies, consider how to analyze and respond to both positive and negative comments, particularly in service-oriented industries.

Project actions

01When researching customer feedback, don't just focus on positive comments; analyze negative ones too.
02Consider the specific context of your design project – is it a social service, a product, or an online platform?

Method & Evidence

AimTo quantitatively measure the concurrent effects of positive and negative customer engagement on word-of-mouth, considering different service contexts and engagement objects.

MethodQuantitative research using structural equation modelling.

ProcedureSurvey responses from 625 participants were analyzed to assess the relationships between involvement, positive and negative customer engagement (across affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions), and word-of-mouth, within social service and social networking site contexts, and for brand and community objects.

Sample625 participants

ContextCustomer engagement in service contexts (social services vs. social networking sites).

Variables

IV["Involvement","Positive Customer Engagement","Negative Customer Engagement"]

DV["Word-of-Mouth (WOM)"]

CV["Service Type (Social Service vs. Social Networking Site)","Engagement Object (Brand vs. Community)"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Quantitative measurement of both positive and negative engagement concurrently.
+Examination of moderating effects of dual objects and contrasting service types.

Limitations

The findings might be specific to the types of social services studied and may not apply to all industries.

Reliability & validity

Structural equation modelling provides a robust framework for testing complex relationships, enhancing the validity of the findings. The large sample size contributes to reliability.

Think critically

How might a designer proactively use insights about negative engagement to improve a service, rather than just react to it?

Design Principles

"Customer engagement is a multi-faceted construct; both positive and negative expressions can influence brand perception and advocacy."

Understanding the dual nature of customer engagement, including negative aspects, is crucial for developing comprehensive marketing strategies. This insight highlights that even negative interactions can contribute to brand visibility and influence through word-of-mouth, especially in specific service environments.

What This Means for Your Design

Even when customers complain or express negative feelings, it can actually make other people talk about the brand more, especially if it's a service like a charity or a community group.

How to use in your project

1.Use this research to justify investigating both positive and negative customer feedback in your design project.
2.Cite this study when discussing the impact of customer sentiment on brand reputation and word-of-mouth.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

Research indicates that customer engagement is a dual-valence construct, with negative engagement also positively influencing word-of-mouth, particularly within social service contexts. This suggests that even critical feedback can contribute to brand visibility and discussion, necessitating a comprehensive approach to managing customer sentiment.

Source

European Journal of Marketing

Expanding customer engagement: the role of negative engagement, dual valences and contexts

journal · 2020

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about negative customer engagement drives word-of-mouth in social services?: Designers of customer engagement strategies should consider how to leverage or mitigate both positive and negative feedback, recognizing that negative sentiment can be a powerful, albeit complex, driver of brand perception. Evidence: European Journal of Marketing (2020).
Why does "Negative Customer Engagement Drives Word-of-Mouth in Social Services" matter for design?: Understanding the dual nature of customer engagement, including negative aspects, is crucial for developing comprehensive marketing strategies. This insight highlights that even negative interactions can contribute to brand visibility and influence through word-of-mouth, especially in specific service environments.
How can designers apply this research?: Designers of customer engagement strategies should consider how to leverage or mitigate both positive and negative feedback, recognizing that negative sentiment can be a powerful, albeit complex, driver of brand perception.
What were the main findings?: Involvement is a strong driver of positive customer engagement, which in turn strongly influences word-of-mouth.. Negative customer engagement also positively drives word-of-mouth, with a stronger effect observed in social service contexts.. The relationship between involvement and negative customer engagement is inverse, but this effect is weaker in social networking sites compared to social services.
What research method was used?: Quantitative research using structural equation modelling. with 625 participants.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2020 journal from European Journal of Marketing.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing customer feedback mechanisms or social media engagement strategies, consider how to analyze and respond to both positive and negative comments, particularly in service-oriented industries.
What are the limitations?: The study focuses on specific service contexts and may not generalize to all industries or customer interaction types.