Information asymmetry in emerging platforms with two-sided markets creates barriers for interactions, especially for products lacking established reputation, termed the reputational cold-start problem. To address the problem, this study explores the roles of platform-initiated contents (PICs). Specifically, this paper examines how inspector-based textual PIC and video-mediated PIC influence consumer demand and subsequent reviews in the accommodation-sharing context. We employ econometric analyses with propensity score weighting and two-stage residual inclusion to address potential endogeneity concerns. We find that (i) both PICs as quality signals enhance the booking rate, and (ii) the positive impact of video-mediated PIC is more pronounced for properties facing the reputational cold-start problem, a nuanced effect not observed for inspector-based PIC. Furthermore, we demonstrate that inspector-based PIC increases subsequent reviews for properties with the cold-start problem while video-mediated PIC has no significant effects on subsequent reviews for those properties. Contribution and practical implications for addressing the cold-start problem in emerging platforms are discussed.
목차
Abstract Introduction Theoretical Background Methodology Research Context Data and Variables Analysis Results Effects on Consumer Demand Spillover Effects on Review Volume Conclusion References APPENDIX A. Additional Table