Brand-Related eWOM and Its Effects on Purchase Decisions: An Empirical Study of University of Botswana Students

This research investigates the extent to which University of Botswana students engage in brand-related eWOM via social media and the effects this could be having on their purchase decisions. A survey method involving a structured questionnaire administered to a convenience sample of 300 students at the main campus of the University of Botswana was used. Unexpectedly the results of the present study indicate that the level of engagement in brand-related eWOM by University of Botswana students is relatively low. The results also indicate that engagement in brand-related eWOM generally and opinion seeking behavior in particular positively and significantly influences purchase decisions. This finding is consistent with previous studies which show that consumers consider word-of-mouth to be a credible source of information about products and brands. This study concludes that marketing practitioners in Botswana should both promote brand-related eWOM among university students and incorporate it in their marketing tools.