Date Received: 29-05-2026 / Date Accepted: 18-09-2026 / Date Published: 30-10-2026
In the context of severe information asymmetry in the food market, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) has emerged as a crucial tool widely utilized on online platforms to mitigate consumers' perceived risks. This study explored the impact of eWOM components on the purchase intention of OCOP-labeled processed food-a distinctive type of credence goods in Vietnam. Applying the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method with data collected from 404 consumer surveys in Hanoi, the estimation results indicate that source credibility, information quantity, and information quality positively affected brand awareness and consumer trust. Notably, the study revealed a gap in the underlying mechanism: information quality does not directly foster consumer trust; instead, consumer trust was strongly reinforced by source credibility. Both brand awareness and trust played pivotal mediating roles leading to purchase intention. These findings offer significant managerial implications for OCOP entities in designing digital marketing strategies, emphasizing the construction of social proof through credible sources rather than solely focusing on pure information content.
