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JulAug2015

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JULY | AUGUST 2015 BizEd 11 Viral Credibility RECENT OUTBREAKS OF the measles in the U.S.—the largest traced back to the Disneyland amusement park in Califor- nia—have sparked a growing national debate about childhood vaccinations. The central question: Why are more parents choosing not to vaccinate their children, especially against the recom- mendations of their doctors? One reason might be "electronic word-of-mouth" or eWOM, say assistant marketing professor Ioannis Kareklas, marketing professor Darrel Muehling, and doctoral student T.J. Weber, all of Washington State University's Carson College of Business in Pullman. While word-of-mouth has long been one of the most e'ective forms of advertising, eWOM is a "relatively new phenome- non" that can exert great influence over consumers, even among strangers. In fact, many parents might give as much credence to online comments as to web- sites and public service announcements (PSAs) from oŸcial medical sources. The three researchers showed 129 study participants two fictional PSAs, one pro-vaccination and one anti-vac- cination. Participants were told that the pro-vaccination PSA was sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the anti-vaccination PSA, by the National Vaccine Information Coun- cil. Each PSA was designed to look as if it had appeared on its respective organiza- tion's website. The PSAs were followed by com- ments from fictitious individuals who expressed either pro- or anti-vaccina- tion views. Participants had no informa- tion about commenters; to avoid gender biases, each commenter had a name suitable for either a man or woman. After reading the PSAs and com- ments, participants filled out question- naires where they indicated their opin- ions about vaccination. The researchers found that statements made by online commenters wielded a great deal of influence. "People trusted the random online commenters just as much as the PSA itself," says Kareklas. In a second experiment, participants were told that a healthcare industry lob- byist and an infectious disease specialist were among the commenters. In this instance, participants were persuaded by the comments more than by the PSA. To account for the influence of online comments, marketers need to take three important steps, the researchers advise. First, they should include opposing points of view when relevant, so that readers do not perceive their messages as manipulative. Second, they should highlight supporting comments from ex- perts in relevant fields. And, finally, they should use online strategies that en- courage credible dialogue, collaboration, and problem solving, while discouraging contention and controversy. "Re-examining Health Messages in the Digital Age: A Fresh Look at Source Credibility E'ects" was published online in May by the Journal of Advertising. It is available for download at ssrn.com/ abstract=2556998. RAISING MONEY WITH SOCIAL MEDIA More higher education institutions worldwide are using social media to enhance fundraising eorts, according to a survey conducted by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE); mStoner, a research and branding service provider; and Huron Education, a consulting group serving the higher education field. Nearly 1,000 advancement profession- als at education institutions participated. According to the survey, 57 percent of respondents used social media to fundraise in 2015, compared to 47 percent in 2014. Even so, nearly 85 percent of respondents indicated that fundraising through social media represents only 5 percent or less of their total funds raised. Fifty-nine percent experimented with new social media fundraising strategies, such as crowdfunding campaigns, which had been tried by 15 percent of respondents. More than half of those campaigns had earned more than US$10,000. In addition, 42 percent have held a day of giving, and of those, more than a third raised at least $50,000. In their social media outreach eorts, 22 percent of institutions use social media ambassadors, often alumni, to help promote their initiatives. Online comments could have played a role in a recent measles outbreak.

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