Owl-Prowl - User interpretations and evaluations of online consumer reviews through animal metaphors

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Especially in the case of a digital device, but in other situations as well, one very important decisive element is others’ relating contributions, namely forum comments. In case of an e-book reader or a hotel we face several lists of comments in the social media space, where the order, modality, detail, positive or negative tone has an influence on our decision. Our objective was to present how animal symbols may be used in advertising rhetoric, as well as to reveal how user generated content -forum comments - maybe described by animal metaphors by readers and consider their marketing implications.

APPLIED METHODOLOGY
In our research we created decision situations where point of references were other users' authentic reviews. Our objective was to discover how reviews contribute to buying intentions, what emotional responses they trigger. Our research is based on a projective qualitative research technique: animal-metaphors (Phillips, 1996).

MAJOR RESULTS, NOVELTIES
The most mentioned associations are independent of comments positive or negative content are owl, dog and cat, at the same time the most negative comment triggered the most diverse and most numerous associations. In present article we elaborate on owl-associations.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
Studying online forum comments and reviews with the help of qualitative projective techniques, animal metaphors give an open space to reader reactions, which could be used in many other forum contexts for exploring reader reactions. This implies that communication platforms created by brand owners would be a sufficient form as it is capable of representing intended corporate messages as well as give space to equally valuable user contributions too.