The power of consumer reviews

Sean Murray Smith's name has never been mentioned in discussions about Montreal's greatest chefs. He has never appeared on a television cooking show or been profiled in a newspaper or on the radio.

... "I see review websites as the new word of mouth," said Dr. Jui Ramaprasad, an assistant professor in information systems with the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University. An expert on the effects that information technology-enhanced social interactions have on consumer behaviour, Ramaprasad says review websites and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter are helping to drive consumption away from the mainstream.

Read full article: The Montreal Gazette