ABSTRACT
More and more each day in every market you can think of, customers are overloaded with information from many different channels. These
channels are continually growing and changing with the recent wave of novel social marketing technologies. When making a purchasing decision, this accumulation of information can be overwhelming. Consumers very often turn to people they trust to help them distill, synthesize, and interpret the information, thus reducing the risk and uncertainty associated with their decision. In turn, the peers these customers turn to for advice also seek guidance from other people whose expertise they trust. Advice has a fascinating way of streaming from person to person, branching across a complex network of personal and professional ties. These systems of advice are called social networks, and they are the most powerful force in the decision-making process (Figure 9.1).
