2024/10/29 by Frank G. Cabano, Stefan Müller, Katja Gelbrich
Arts and Humanities · #Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies
paper · doi:10.4324/9781003506010-51
openalex publication_date 2024/10/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
This chapter emphasizes the significant influence of personal communication, particularly recommendations from friends, on consumer decision-making, especially for high-involvement products. Research indicates that people trust personal recommendations more than commercial advertising. Religious individuals, particularly in Islamic cultures, prefer advice from their faith community over anonymous sources like mass media. Additionally, religious customers are more likely to share negative word-of-mouth experiences when they feel mistreated by a provider. They play active roles in communication networks, serving as both information seekers and providers, making them valuable targets for companies seeking to engage with their religious customer base effectively.