: Republic of the Philippines

POLYTECHNIC UNVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Mabini Campus, Sta. Mesa, Manila

Dulce P. Dela Cruz Integrated Marketing Communication

QAAQ Prof. Kriztine Rosales – Viray

Article 8b
Battle of the Brand Fans: Impact of Brand Attack and Defense on Social Media

Question: How is electronic word of mouth (eWOM) beneficial to the company?

Answer:
By definition, Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) is any form of statement about a certain
product, service or company; it could be positive or negative statement by consumers
and made publicly available online like web-based services (e.g. social media, websites,
review platforms or internet forums (Hennig-Thurau et al. 2004). Positive eWOM
connotes good comments (driven from good experience) therefore substantially
produces sales growth (ChevalierandMayzlin2006; Pauwels, Aksehirli, and
Lackmann 2016). This positive eWOM instill to the minds of the people thus may
optimistically contribute to the buying decision-making of the consumers.

However, negative eWOM is an untoward comment or remarks (may be vengeance for

disappointing experience) of the consumers to their rival brands that lead to lower
product image, company value and sales. On the contrary, research reveals that
negative eWOM does not necessarily give negative impacts for the brand but
instead it benefits the company especially the lesser-known brands in a way of
increasing awareness of the people about that certain brand. Increasing awareness
may enrich knowledge which may lead to recognizing the brand especially the lesser-
known ones not only by rival fans but by the rest of the consumers. When people post
negative eWOMs, there is greater possibility of retaining the thoughts about that brand
they are attacking without them knowing that the “noise” they are creating benefits the
rival brand in a way.
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: Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Mabini Campus, Sta. Mesa, Manila

Moreover, customers who strongly identifiy a brand (deeply knowledgeable about the
brand), show little or no reaction to negative eWOM. This means that customers of this
brand may not likely be affected hence, incessantly choose that brand. I could say that
this type of fans, perhaps, be labeled as “avid fans” of their brand.

Application: Cherry Mobile vs. mobile phone rivals

Filipinos are known to be price-conscious, which is why smartphone manufacturers are
adapting by making sure consumers get the best value for their money. Now, even low-
end phones are equipped with good-quality cameras and better processors while mid-
range phones are now capable of having AI enhancements and near bezel-less displays.
When it comes to unit market share terms in Philippine mobile brand, topping the list
is Cherry Mobile. Despite consumer attack online, Cherry Mobile still leading
smartphones sales according to International Data Corporation (IDC) in 2018 which is
why IDC credits Cherry Mobile’s success primarily to its pricing. Though currently
leading, Cherry Mobile is experiencing a slow decline as other top brands offer tight
competition. Samsung is closing in with its J and A Series, while Vivo comes third and
is making strides with aggressive marketing efforts as its X21 is now the official
smartphone of FIFA. Meanwhile, Oppo and Huawei place fourth and fifth respectively.
Although there are also local brands in the market which offer low pricing like Cloudfone
and SmartPhone, Cherry Mobile has been consistent with their marketing efforts, and
that they've had the resources to maintain nationwide presence (Gonzales, 2018).

Question: How can managers of a certain branded company maintain the good brand of
his company despite of negative eWOMs (electronic word of mouth)?