Via Blogspotting.
For the past twenty years, Walt Mossberg has helped business people navigate the complex world of computers and personal technology. His Personal Technology and Mossberg's Mailbox columns are relied upon by numerous readers. But, how influential are Mossberg's reviews?
That was the question posed in a recent paper by USC marketing professor Gerard Tellis and Joseph Johnson, Assistant Professor at the University of Miami. In the paper (final version to be published next month), the two examined Mossberg reviews from 1991 - 2001 and then analyzed abnormal returns for the parent companies of those products tied to those reviews.
In developing the study, the two utilized grad students to qualitatively assess whether each review was positive or negative and scored them on a 2 - 10 scale. There were 765 reviews assessed, though only those whose parent company is publicly traded were included in the analysis, for a net total of 498 reviews.
The preliminary findings:
Firms with bad product reviews saw stock losses of $200 million, while those with positive reviews saw gains of $500 million
The full study is due out next month.
