Differences in consumer-generated media adoption and use: A cross-national perspective

Ulrike Gretzel, Myunghwa Kang, Woojin Lee

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    87 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    Adoption of consumer-generated media (CGM) and social networking applications has been reportedly rapid and impacts on the travel industry are assumed to be tremendous. CGM such as blogs, reviews and podcasts provide great opportunities for travel marketers. In order to be able to respond to CGM developments, travel marketers need to better understand what drives CGM use in different markets. Using secondary data from various sources, this paper outlines national differences in adoption speed and usage patterns for four major origin markets: The United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and China. Based on the existing technology adoption literature, the information is summarized and analyzed with respect to forces which could drive these differences, mainly focusing on cultural dimensions, media landscapes, infrastructure development and information needs due to specific travel behavior characteristics. The results reveal interesting differences in these four markets and suggest that many factors stimulate CGM adoption. The findings imply that travel marketers need to adjust their CGM-based marketing strategies to the particular circumstances present in a visitor market.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)99-120
    Number of pages22
    JournalJournal of Hospitality and Leisure Marketing
    Volume17
    Issue number1-2
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Aug 19 2008

    Keywords

    • Consumer-generated media
    • Cross-national comparison
    • Technology adoption
    • Tourism marketing

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Management Information Systems
    • Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management
    • Marketing

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