Provision of Helpful Review Videos: Effects of Video Characteristics on Perceived Helpfulness

Posted: 25 Sep 2020 Last revised: 7 Feb 2023

See all articles by Kyungmin Park

Kyungmin Park

University of Washington - Michael G. Foster School of Business

Stephanie Lee

University of Washington - Michael G. Foster School of Business

Shahryar Doosti

Chapman University - George Argyros School of Business & Economics

Yong Tan

University of Washington - Michael G. Foster School of Business

Date Written: August 1, 2022

Abstract

With the rapid growth and popularity of YouTube, an increasing number of consumers rely on online product review videos to obtain product-related information. As the provision of online review videos grows and consumers increasingly rely on them for their purchase decisions, understanding factors that contribute to the perceived helpfulness of video reviews becomes critical for video review management. This paper examines how various visual and vocal characteristics of online review videos are associated with the perceived helpfulness of videos. We collect detailed observational data on 13,840 electronic product review videos posted on YouTube and employ video content analysis, speech recognition, and natural language processing techniques to extract the visual and vocal characteristics of review videos. By using econometric models, we find that the increase in visual stimulation, captured by brightness and visual dynamics, increases the perceived helpfulness of reviews. In addition, featuring reviewers’ faces in review videos increases the perceived helpfulness of videos. Consumers also perceive review videos in which reviewers express more positive facial emotions as more helpful. Furthermore, lower voice pitch and faster speech rates are associated with higher perceived helpfulness of reviews. To complement the empirical analysis and further isolate the causal effects of review brightness and pitch, we conduct controlled experiments. Our findings can facilitate the management and operation of online review videos for product reviewers, businesses, review platforms, and consumers. In particular, the findings provide direct and actionable guidance to content generators who aim to create more helpful product reviews.

Keywords: Product review videos, review helpfulness, video mining, voice mining

Suggested Citation

Park, Kyungmin and Lee, Stephanie and Doosti, Shahryar and Tan, Yong, Provision of Helpful Review Videos: Effects of Video Characteristics on Perceived Helpfulness (August 1, 2022). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3671307 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3671307

Kyungmin Park (Contact Author)

University of Washington - Michael G. Foster School of Business ( email )

Box 353200
Seattle, WA 98195-3200
United States

Stephanie Lee

University of Washington - Michael G. Foster School of Business ( email )

Box 353200
Seattle, WA 98195-3200
United States

Shahryar Doosti

Chapman University - George Argyros School of Business & Economics ( email )

One University Dr.
Orange, CA 92866
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.sdoosti.com

Yong Tan

University of Washington - Michael G. Foster School of Business ( email )

Box 353226
Seattle, WA 98195-3226
United States

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