Today, product reviews and other forms of user-generated content (UGC) fuel the shopping journey; shoppers nearly insist on knowing what real people think about a product, service, or brand before they commit to a purchase. According to our research, online reviews are second only to recommendations from friends and family when it comes to influencing shoppers, and 64% of shoppers consider ratings and reviews, consumer-submitted questions and answers, and consumer photos important elements of their shopping experience.
This is why we’re excited to announce our acquisition of Influenster. First and foremost, Influenster is a digital destination where millions of consumers research, discuss, and share about their experiences with brands and products. I would encourage you to check it out for yourself — this content on my favorite ice cream (it’s summer, after all) showcases the power and passion of the Influenster community.
Influenster has built a massive community of almost six million engaged consumers who read and write reviews, post photos and videos, ask and answer questions, and engage with brands — all with the intention of empowering consumers to make informed purchase decisions. Both Bazaarvoice and Influenster share this mission, which is what makes this announcement so exciting.
Now, our network of over 6,000 brand and retailer websites is uniting with Influenster’s community of everyday consumers. More brands will be able to engage and tap in to the Influenster community to build brand awareness, generate influential reviews and other UGC, and power word-of-mouth marketing at scale. This continues both companies’ commitment to connecting brands with consumers, and consumers with each other and the products they love.
In addition to the solutions and service we already offer our clients, we are excited that this will allow us to provide far more comprehensive product sampling and review generation offerings and to better support our clients’ broader marketing initiatives in new ways:
Showcase your products through sampling campaigns
We are strengthening our existing sampling offerings by incorporating Influenster’s unique and customized sampling box options and providing access to their global community, so that brands can design the sampling campaign that best suits their needs. Brands can sample individual products to community members in exchange for authentic reviews on their own or in themed sampling boxes that are sent to hyper-targeted groups. These “co-op boxes” help to drive trial and awareness ahead of product launches to generate high-quality reviews and social advocacy. Brands also have the ability to design and distribute their own custom sampling boxes that showcase a variety of products to their ideal buyer; brands can customize product assortment, look and feel, volume, and audience for each package and collect UGC, as well as insights for new products.
Amplify your brand’s presence online and offline by mobilizing everyday consumers
Our clients will now have the ability to mobilize the members of the Influenster community to take action on behalf of their brand. Brands can use hyper-targeting and gamification capabilities in Influenster’s platform to activate geo-specific digital campaigns and in-store deals, pull off buzzworthy pop-up events, and ignite social campaigns, contests, and sweepstakes. We are excited to be able to offer our clients new ways to engage shoppers, complement product launches, and further boost their brand.
Generate organic product reviews from the Influenster community
A consistent stream of fresh, authentic product reviews is critical for brands. In addition to the review generation tactics we already support, brands can now tap into a direct line of more than 38 million organic reviews to display on their sites and distribute across 1,900+ leading retailer sites in the Bazaarvoice Network. With one million new reviews created every month, the Influenster community is a great resource for brands who will be able to license this unique content.
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Our goals have always been aligned with Influenster’s. In fact, we have been successful partners for years now, helping consumers make informed purchase decisions and fostering authentic connection between brands and their customers. Together, we will continue our commitment to this mission.
To learn more about the acquisition and our initial integrated offerings, visit https://www.bazaarvoice.com/bazaarvoice-and-influenster-for-brands/.
