June 14, 2025
How do you trust anything on the internet anymore?
A staggering 75% of consumers are concerned about encountering fake reviews when shopping online. If UGC loses its authenticity, it loses its value, threatening the very foundation of online commerce.
Consumer skepticism poses a significant challenge for brands striving to build trust, drive conversions, and safeguard their reputations. Academic research confirms that exposure to fake reviews significantly increases purchases of low-value items, leading to shopper disappointment and wasted money.
Bazaarvoice intimately understand the challenges of online trust. For over 11 years, we’ve led the charge in content authenticity with our Trust Mark. Our continued commitment is stronger than ever now with the introduction of Intelligent Trust Mark, designed to further protect your brand and consumer trust.
Here are five compelling reasons why displaying the Intelligent Trust Mark is a boost to your brand:
Reason 1: Boost consumer confidence and conversions
Over two-thirds (66%) of consumers said they’d have confidence in a “trust signal” (like a symbol or a checkmark) that shows each piece of content has been verified by an independent third party. When asked if they’d trust an industry-leading, third-party authentication provider to verify the trustworthiness of content for all the sites they visit, a resounding 70% of consumers said they would.
The Intelligent Trustmark directly addresses consumer concerns about fake reviews by providing a clear, verifiable signal of authenticity. It reinforces confidence, turning that trust into tangible conversions and sales.
“It feels better to me that they go that extra mile with the customer to make sure that they are taking care of them…this seems like the type of company that is putting customers first.”
– Consumer quote on Intelligent Trust mark
Reason 2: Safeguard your brand reputation and cultivate lasting loyalty
Building a strong brand reputation takes years of dedication, yet it can be shattered in seconds.
The Intelligent Trustmark is your brand’s proactive shield against this growing threat. It signals stronger protection with its shield design and the full Bazaarvoice name, as 73% of consumers trusted third-party validation for ratings and reviews even if they didn’t know the specific company providing it.
By displaying the Intelligent Trust Mark, you are making a public commitment to authenticity and transparency. It evaluates both hosted and syndicated reviews, offering a comprehensive view of authentic content. This ensures that all reviews within a PDP (product detail page) meet Bazaarvoice’s stringent authenticity standards, not just those submitted directly on your site.
Reason 3: Ensure compliance and mitigate legal and regulatory risks
The regulatory landscape around online reviews and inauthentic content is becoming increasingly stringent. Bodies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are intensifying their scrutiny, and the penalties for non-compliance can be severe. Clients found to be non-compliant with authenticity standards can face hefty fines, potentially up to $50,000 per review, per view.
The Intelligent Trust Mark serves as your brand’s proactive defense against these mounting regulatory pressures. It provides clear, undeniable proof that your user-generated content has been rigorously verified by an industry-leading third-party provider – Bazaarvoice.
To add to it, it’s one part of a larger, ongoing commitment to ensuring the integrity of UGC, protecting both consumers and the brands that serve them.
Displaying the mark isn’t just about ticking the compliance box. It’s a powerful statement of your dedication to pioneering the highest industry standards.
Reason 4: Influence AI algorithms and enhance search visibility
The way consumers discover products has evolved. Instead of just browsing, they’re now asking AI platforms like ChatGPT for advice, and those recommendations frequently pull directly from your brand’s content, including vital UGC.
Similarly, search is shifting, with buyers increasingly relying on Google AI overviews, often without even clicking through to a website. Your brand’s first impression may very well come from aggregated UGC summaries.
This shift means that the authenticity and quality of your user-generated content have never been more critical. By ensuring your UGC is verified and badged with the Intelligent Trust Mark, you provide a clear signal of authenticity to these powerful algorithms. This helps ensure that your brand’s real values, genuine customer stories, and accurate product information are the ones that are fed into and reflected by AI-driven search and discovery tools.
Reason 5: It’s free and signals industry leadership
When your brand displays the Intelligent Trust Mark, it’s not simply securing its reputation; it’s setting a powerful precedent, driving the entire industry toward greater authenticity.
The Alliance for Authenticity is a cross-industry collaboration with Consumers International and other founding members in discussion to establish standards, fight fraud, and educate consumers.
Together, we’re dedicated to establishing gold standards for UGC authenticity and trust, focusing on stronger industry standards, cross-sector collaboration against fraud, research-driven solutions, consumer education, and policy advocacy. We’re also welcoming leading brands and retailers to join this vital Alliance, with public announcements coming very soon.
Why choose Intelligent Trust Mark?
We’ve often heard from clients who were misled or left exposed to reputational and legal risks by UGC providers lacking rigorous enforcement, transparency, or education around best practices.
Today, nearly 2,000 brands and retailers across all industries proudly display our current Trust Mark and are excited to display the new Intelligent Trust Mark. Adopting the Intelligent Trust Mark is more than just a savvy business move. It’s about championing a truly reliable digital space and building a more trustworthy online shopping experience for all consumers.
