“You” and “I”: First- and Second-Person Pronouns in Electronic Word-of-Mouth as Customer-Owned Touchpoints

Aim Building on the service ecosystem literatureand the persuasion knowledge theory, this study investigates pronouns in electronic word of mouth (eWOM) as customer-owned touchpoints.Methods Regression analyses of 5,652,723 Amazon customer reviews empirically quantify the effectsoffirst- and second-person pronouns,and their moderators on perceived review helpfulness and product sales.Results Results show that a sender’s pronoun variants can indicatesubtle aspects of eWOM, including personal experience, honesty, immediacy, community orientation, politeness, and narrow targeting.Conclusion The decision to adopt a customer-centric or a firm-centric perspective toward a service ecosystem carries consequences.