Why Online Word-of-Mouth Measures Cannot Predict Brand Outcomes Offline: Volume, Sentiment, Sharing, and Influence Metrics Yield Scant Online–Offline WOM Correlations

Brad Fay and Rick Larkin

The rise of social media as a marketing channel, and the research that has supported it, has left open questions as to its impact on actual brand performance.

Why Online Word-of-Mouth Measures Cannot Predict Brand Outcomes Offline: Volume, Sentiment, Sharing, and Influence Metrics Yield Scant Online–Offline WOM Correlations

Brad Fay and Rick Larkin

Engagement Labs

MANAGEMENT SLANT

  • Social media do not provide a clear window into the entire consumer marketplace.
  • Social media signals produced by listening systems must be observed with caution.
  • Although some brands perform well both online and offline, most perform well in only one channel or the other.
  • Correlations between online and offline conversations are particularly weak when evaluated over time, which indicates that improved brand performance...

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