ABSTRACT
This chapter embarks the reader on a journey through time, taking him back to the origin of the word of mouth phenomenon all the way to Ancient Greece by detailing how conversations evolved. It provides a detailed description of the definition and characteristics of word of mouth (WOM). It also repositions WOM in traditional marketing strategies and discusses how it helped marketers in impacting consumer behavior while emphasizing persuasive communication tactics. It focuses on negative WOM (NWOM) and provides a brief overview of its substantial consequences. Finally, it addresses how the Internet gave rise to electronic word of mouth (eWOM) by empowering consumers.
