Sharing to Persuade: the Role of Donor- versus Charity-Focused WOM
Department
Marketing and Professional Sales
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Summer 7-31-2024
Embargo Period
8-23-2024
Abstract
Charitable organizations are increasingly soliciting donors to engage in word-of-mouth (WOM) as a strategy to foster future contributions. While some organizations encourage donors to share WOM that focuses on their own donations (donor-focused WOM; e.g., “I just donated to the kids of @StJude. Join me in saving children’s lives.”), others prompt donors to share WOM that focuses on the organization itself (charity-focused WOM; e.g., “Smile Train gives children with clefts the #PowerOfASmile.”). Contrary to the common belief that people mostly want to talk about themselves, the current research demonstrates that donor-focused WOM backfires, such that donors are less likely to share donor- than charity-focused WOM. This effect is driven by their belief that donor-focused WOM is less altruistic and is therefore less efficacious in persuading others to contribute to the same cause. In addition to sharing, the type of WOM solicited exerts far-reaching impact, with donor-focused WOM attracting fewer new donors in comparison to charity-focused WOM. Together, the current research improves the understanding of WOM type, its effect, and the underlying processes.
Journal Title
Journal of Marketing Research
Journal ISSN
1547-7193
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1177/00222437241268491