Sara Spivey says, “As an industry, we’re at a major crossroads.

Ninety percent of consumers say their buying decisions are influenced by online reviews, yet seven out of 10 US and UK consumers have questioned their trustworthiness. This is a problem.

Consumers have a basic right to trust the reviews they read online; reviews, after all, are the key to making an informed purchase decision in today’s digital-first world.

And with last month’s news that Amazon is taking a stronger stance against fake reviews by suing people responsible for writing them, combined with the cry from TripAdvisor users for more stringent verifications of authenticity for review posters, consumer trust in review content is at risk of a serious decline.

Consumer-generated content (CGC), including reviews, is the backbone of a successful retail environment. Not only does it provide consumers with honest opinions from like-minded shoppers that can help them make a more informed purchase decision, but CGC gives brands and retailers a rich source of consumer data that can inform product iterations and marketing strategy“.

Don’t Be Deceived: Fake Reviews Are A Real Marketing Problem

Marketing Land

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