Deconstructing Persuasiveness of Online Hotel Review Platforms

Abstract

Considering the significant influence of online hotel reviews on both tourism demand and supply side, these may be considered as a successful persuasive tool. Accordingly, it is necessary to investigate the broader context in which reviews are generated and what are the components that contribute to their effectiveness. The main goal of this study was to analyze the communication occurring on hotel review platforms from a social psychological perspective through understanding structure, characteristics, and functions of attitudes expressed in guests' reviews. In addition, it aims to identify how persuasive cues in review responses should be defined. Following this aim, the authors applied multiple case study design and collected data in several stages through document analysis, participant observation, netnography, and interviews with different stakeholders involved in online review management process. Results of the qualitative content analysis showed that, in order to use the full persuasive potential of review platforms, it is necessary for hotel management to define its presence and visibility on these platforms, to conduct in-depth analysis of structure, characteristics, and functions of attitudes expressed in reviews, and to establish a systematic approach towards use of central and peripheral cues in review responses to induce desired cognitive processing of these messages.