Talk Bursts: The Role of Spikes in Pre-release Word-of-Mouth Dynamics

Prior to their launch, many new products generate word of mouth (WOM) on social media. Such WOM typically increases toward the release date and contains sudden spikes. These spikes capture manifestations of peak consumer attention, and are therefore of clear managerial importance. Yet, they have not received research attention. This article is the first to provide a comprehensive, descriptive treatment of WOM spikes. The authors propose a...