Key Opinion Leader, Online Consumer Reviews, and Online Group Buying

ABSTRACT: This study proposes to investigate the factors affecting consumers’ intention to purchasegroup-buying products. From the literature review, we found that perceived usefulness of online customerreviews (OCRs) and social psychosocial distance have impact to purchasing behaviors. Previous studies suggestthat electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) plays a key role in purchase decision.Especially OCRs, a type ofeWOM, have become an important factor in influencing consumers’ shopping behavior.It was found thatconsumers tend to refer to other people’s opinions to make shopping decisions. Due to the popularity of groupbuying, this study aim to study how OCRs influence consumers’ decision.Group buying is one of the choices forconsumers.We postulate that those who feel closer to key opinion leaders (KOLs) will shorten their perceptionof social psychosocial distance, which in turn will increase their willingness to join KOL-led group purchaseactivities.

Keywords: Online Consumer Reviews, OCRs, Electronic Word-of-Mouth, eWOM, Social Psychosocial Distance