Introduction

Human Voice in Online Brand Communications

The Role of Hedonic Value and Consumer Goals

The Role of Perceived Risk and Situational Involvement

Study 1a

Study 1b

Study 2a

Study 2b

General Discussion

References

Abstract

Social media platforms enable firms to communicate directly and often publicly with individual consumers. In this research, comprising four online studies, the authors investigate how the tone of voice used by firms (human vs. corporate) influences purchase intentions on social media. Findings suggest that a human tone of voice is not always the firm’s best option. Study 1a (N = 174) shows that using a human voice, instead of the more traditional corporate voice, can increase a consumer’s hedonic value on social media and also purchase intentions. However, that influence of a human voice on purchase intentions is stronger when the consumer is looking at a brand page with a hedonic goal in mind (versus a utilitarian one). Study 1b (N = 342) shows that the presence of several negative comments about a brand on social media acts as a boundary condition, nullifying the influence of a human voice on purchase intentions. Studies 2a (N = 154) and 2b (N = 202) show in different settings that using a human voice can even reduce purchase intentions in contexts of high situational involvement, due to perceptions of risk associated with humanness. The results contribute to the literature surrounding the effects of conversational human voice, while also providing managers with a set of guidelines to help inform and identify which tone of voice is best adapted to each communications scenario.

Introduction

The popularity of social media such as Facebook and Twitter with both consumers and companies has opened up opportunities for new business models and forms of online branding and social commerce. Worldwide spending on social media advertising has increased by 27% from 2015 to 2016, and social media users should reach 2.95 billion by 2020 (Statista 2017a, 2017b). However, while social media have become an important tool for branding and customer marketing, many questions remain concerning the best ways for brands to represent themselves or address their customers in this highly interactive, both personal and public, conversational environment. Given that social media enable more direct contact with customers, should a brand present in a more personal and human way in these contexts? Alternatively, should a brand keep its distance and adopt a less intimate approach? In the professional press, many experts argue that brands should use a more human tone of voice on social media (Lund and Sutton 2014). However, there is still little evidence that this informal style is the optimal way to communicate with all consumers. Given the reports that brands are increasingly employing an informal style in their social media communications (Beukeboom, Kerkhof, and de Vries 2015), the lack of research on its effects on key aspects of consumer–brand relationships is striking. Even within the same industry, there is no consensus among companies as to the most appropriate tone of voice. For example, Visa’s brand page on Facebook (@Visa) more often adopts a traditional corporate style of communication, addressing customers using formal language: “Hi [customer]. Thank you for your interest in a Visa card. All Visa cards are issued by our client financial institutions. Each one of them has its own criteria for issuing cards, fees & T&C.”