Hi Alexa!: Robotic word-of-mouth and motives to talk with a conversational agent

The advent of smart speakers with embedded conversational agents (CAs) such as Alexa and Siri leads consumers to engage in a new form of word-of-mouth, which we label robotic word-of-mouth (rWOM). This research aims to define what rWOM is and conceptualize the motives that encourage consumers to engage in rWOM. We propose that rWOM can be driven by functional, psychological and cognitive motives.