Framing the conversation: the role of facebook conversations in shopping for eyeglasses

  • Authors:
  • Karim Said;Michele Annmarie Burton;Amy Hurst;Shaun K. Kane

  • Affiliations:
  • University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA;University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA;University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA;University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 17th ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work & social computing
  • Year:
  • 2014

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Abstract

Individuals often leverage their social network to receive feedback from their peers about various decisions. Capitalizing on this trend, fashion retailers, such as the eyeglass frame retailer Warby Parker, have created 'home try-on' programs and encourage customers to solicit feedback from their friends before making a purchasing decision. In this paper, we investigate Warby Parker's Facebook page and explore the ways customers formulate questions and conversations as they shop for new eyeglass frames. Our research presents insights derived from a dataset of over 10,000 Facebook posts, consisting of photos, comments, and 'likes'. Using statistical analyses and qualitative coding techniques, we examine trends and patterns of conversation on the Warby Parker Facebook page. We find that contributors produce a broad range of content, and use the Warby Parker Facebook page as a platform for creative self-expression, and socially driven decision-making.