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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
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The Power of Positive Online Reviews: How do positive online reviews build brand loyalty?

Authors

;

Term

4. Semester

Publication year

2024

Submitted on

Pages

73

Abstract

This project examines how positive online reviews help build brand loyalty—people’s ongoing preference and attachment to a brand—in e-commerce, using SHEIN as a case study. In today’s online shopping, reviews are central to how customers interact with brands: they provide feedback, influence what people buy, shape the stories told about brands, and build a sense of community and trust. We reviewed prior research and found gaps in how the effects of positive reviews on loyalty are explained. In response, we propose a clear framework that describes how customers’ exposure to positive reviews can strengthen their attachment to a brand like SHEIN. Our goal is to clarify a meaningful but underexplored topic by looking at how people react to positive reviews and how those reactions translate into loyalty. The insights are useful for e-commerce companies that want to understand and improve customer relationships. Based on this understanding, we offer practical guidance to help strengthen brand loyalty and, in turn, competitiveness. More broadly, the study contributes to a nuanced view of consumer behavior in the digital age by explaining links between reviews, trust and community, and brand building, supporting more effective strategy.

Dette projekt undersøger, hvordan positive online anmeldelser bidrager til at opbygge brandloyalitet—en vedvarende præference og tilknytning til et brand—i e‑handel med SHEIN som casestudie. I nutidens online handel er anmeldelser centrale for kunders samspil med brands: de giver feedback, påvirker købsbeslutninger, former fortællingerne om brands og skaber fællesskab og tillid. Vi har gennemgået den eksisterende litteratur og fundet huller i forklaringerne på, hvordan positive anmeldelser fører til loyalitet. Derfor fremlægger vi en tydelig ramme, der beskriver, hvordan kunders møde med positive anmeldelser kan styrke deres tilknytning til et brand som SHEIN. Vores mål er at belyse et vigtigt, men relativt underbelyst emne ved at se på, hvordan folk reagerer på positive anmeldelser, og hvordan disse reaktioner omsættes til loyalitet. Indsigterne er nyttige for e‑handelsvirksomheder, der vil forstå og forbedre kunderelationer. På dette grundlag giver vi praktiske anbefalinger, som kan styrke brandloyalitet og dermed konkurrenceevne. Overordnet bidrager studiet til en mere nuanceret forståelse af forbrugeradfærd i den digitale tidsalder ved at forklare sammenhænge mellem anmeldelser, tillid og fællesskab og brandopbygning, så strategier kan målrettes bedre.

[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]