Going with the consumer towards the social web environment: a review of extant knowledge

The social web environment cannot be explained without taking into account the use made by consumers of the web technologies in the field of e-commerce. Starting with a systematic background of the growing body of research on marketing and consumer behaviour on the web, this article presents a critical review of the main contributions on this theme, integrating also the research field of consumer behaviour in the social web environment. It concludes with some managerial guidelines for successful use of the social web in the commercial activities and in the establishment of fruitful relationships between the consumers and the brand.