Cellarmasters strengthens competitive edge and customer loyalty with reviews

Customer reviews give Cellarmasters a competitive edge

Direct-to-consumer retailer Cellarmasters connects high-quality wines to wine lovers through lasting relationships with some of the best growers and winemakers in Australia. The company sells cases of wine and delivers them to even the most remote locations across the continent.

With a growing number of sales happening online, Cellarmasters has been committed to improving the digital shopping experience. In partnering with Bazaarvoice, the company leverages consumer-generated content to support Cellarmasters’ efforts to bolster trust, increase brand awareness, and foster customer advocacy.

Customer reviews bolster trust and increase conversions

With 80% of Cellarmasters products being small-batch or exclusive brands, shoppers who order cases of wine at a time need to feel confident about their purchases and often seek the opinions of others before making a decision.

It’s a highly-considered purchase, says Luke Calavassy, Digital Marketing Manager at Cellarmasters. There’s a commitment with shoppers buying 12 bottles at a time, and we want to be sure that they are going to enjoy it – especially if they haven’t tried some of those wines before.

Cellarmasters uses customer reviews to give both first-time buyers and repeat customers a sense of trust that their purchase is not a “leap of faith,” but a decision founded on genuine feedback.

Product reviews are a big factor in how we address this challenge, says Luke Calavassy.

Since making product reviews a priority and implementing Bazaarvoice, Cellarmasters has collected more than 7,000 reviews. Reviews have increased the revenue generated per visitor, and customers who read the reviews online are 58% more likely to buy.

Standing out in a competitive market

After years of being one of just a few direct wine retailers, Cellarmasters has recently faced the emergence of many more competitors..

Fifteen years ago, we were the big player with limited competition, though with the relatively low barriers to entry,there are now many more businesses selling wine online, adds Luke Calavassy.

The crowded marketplace increases the need for retailers to lift brand awareness and independently assure customers of the quality of wine they are buying.

Being a direct response business, marketing has traditionally been optimised to sales through traditional drivers like price, though since focusing on the collection of reviews, we now use these independent product endorsements as lead marketing messages. We now feature reviews captured through Bazaarvoice within brand and transactional marketing material, both online and via traditional channels. Examples of where these reviews are used include website banners, targeted emails, printed catalogues, social media and digital advertising assets, explains Luke Calavassy.

Building and maintaining relationships with customers

Reviews show Cellarmasters’ customers the company values their opinions, turning customers into brand advocates.

It comes back to our culture of really listening to people, making improvements and being in touch with customers, says Luke Calavassy. We’re seeing a continual increase in NPS (Net Promoter Score) and stronger customer loyalty as a result.

Generating different types of reviews

Cellarmasters includes a diverse set of perspectives in their review content. Because they have external wine accreditations, Cellarmasters’ experts are respected for their views. Staff reviews capture a broad range of opinions from people close to the product. However, the customer reviews are still the most considered reviews by other customers.