Impact of Consumption Emotions on WOM in Movie Consumption: Empirical Evidence from Emerging Markets

Abstract

In this study, we empirically investigate the impact of consumers’ pleasure and arousal on customer satisfaction, likelihood of WOM and positive WOM, in the context of Bollywood movies in India. We collected data from a random sample of 274 consumers of Bollywood movies in India using a survey questionnaire. We analyze the data to test our hypotheses using structural equation modeling (SEM).The results confirmed that for Bollywood movies, consumer emotions such as pleasure and arousal are important predictors of customer satisfaction. We also found that the impact of arousal and pleasure differentially impact customer satisfaction, which in turn partially mediates the impact of these customer emotions on (1) likelihood of word of mouth and (2) positive word of mouth. We also found moderating impact of gender, income, and age. The study provides valuable insights for the entertainment and media industry to tweak their marketing strategies for designing, positioning, and promoting movies in emerging markets such as India. Movie producers and distributors may leverage the differential impact of pleasure and arousal on satisfaction of Bollywood moviegoers. Male and female customers are also impacted differently, which can be leverage for more customized promotions for the movie. Given that WOM is one of the most influential information sources for movie selection and success, the present study adds to the knowledge on movie consumption behaviors. Moreover, we validate the P–A theory in the context of moviegoers in emerging market of India for the first time.