Ehsan Zaribaf

Effect of Word of Mouth Marketing on Smes- Photo Printing Industry: the Effects of Word of Mouth Marketing on Photo Print Industry in Iran Ehsan Zaribaf

As a business research, this dissertation is aimed at investigating the mechanism of word of mouth (WOM) which is regarded as an important social medium impacting consumer behavior and marketing management. This book primarily explains the concept of word of mouth marketing and then statistically explores the mechanism of word of mouth within the chosen industrial context by surveying Iranian customers. Finally, the findings of this study suggest some managerial implications and points which are elaborated in the report. Surprisingly, this research reveals that, ordinary advertisement and TV commercials fail to affect customers in this industry and thus, people seek more reliable sources of information in which "WOM" proves to be a significant way to affect the consumers? behavior in the photo print industry market in Iran. Subsequently, friends were found to be the most trusted source together with price impacting shopping behavior significantly. The study also illustrates that quality of products and services is somewhat equally distributed and therefore, quality does not necessarily count as a "WOM" factor.