FACTBase Bulletin 64 - Perceptions of Greater Perth as Expressed Through Electronic Word of Mouth

The latest FACTBase Bulletin by the Committee for Perth reports on the significance of e-word of mouth on a regions reputation, and analyses 700 online opinions of Greater Perth which have been posted in discussion forums over the past 12 years. It is the third research input into the Committee for Perth's major project, Hashtag Perth.

Key Findings

• The most common media through which external residents obtain information about Greater Perth are: word of mouth (40%); Internet sources (blogs, online news, online booking and review websites) (38%); television programs (35%); and social media (28%).
• Online comments about and reviews of Greater Perth are mainly positive, and 58% of external residents who have seen, read or heard information about Greater Perth in the past 12 months reported that it had positively influenced their perceptions of the region.
• While most online forum contributors who identify themselves as residents or former residents provide balanced commentary about Greater Perth, they are more likely than non-residents to make negative comments and act as trolls in discussion threads about the region.
• Online commentary about Greater Perth’s location is changing from negative discourse about isolation and distance from the eastern states capitals to positive remarks about its proximity and connectivity with Asia.
• Selected online commentary continues to present Perth CBD as dull and boring, although there is a shift towards positive perceptions—specifically depicting the Perth CBD as revitalised. These perceptions are most frequently expressed by residents and former residents of Greater Perth.