Today, many consumers reach to the web to find out the pros and cons of a product or brand. Many consumers even share their feelings about products on review forums and across social media platforms. Why do they share? According to a study by Harris Poll, 46% of consumers feel they can be brutally honest on the Internet, and 38% aim to influence others when they express their preferences online. Thus, traditional online brand presence is changing, and so is the traditional form of PR.
A lot of consumers take to heart what others' have to say about a product, hence greatly influencing their decisions. According to Socialnomics, 90% of online consumers trust recommendations from people they know; 70% trust unknown users, 27% trust experts, 14% trust advertising, and 8% trust celebrities. Advertisement and TV spots influence viewers more often than not, but review forum sites take the lead. In this way, the consumers ultimately have the voice.
When you are looking for a hotel during your travels, you most likely check out reviews on sites such as TripAdvisor and Orbitz. When you are looking for a restaurant or popular bar in town, you might check out review forums like Yelp. And when ordering new products, don't you typically check the reviews on Amazon, Newegg, and Google?
Travis Tillotson, Managing Director at Surgo Group states: the “consumer impact phenomenon” has been rapidly shifting over the past 5 years, and now the direct correlation between purchasing and consumer reviews is no longer just an assumption but an actual measurable statistic, varying from industry to industry. Review Forums come in all shapes and sizes, however, brands need to take more of an active stance on trying to “control the conversation” if they want to compete.
Mr. Tillotson states that there are a myriad of ways to accomplish this feat, and they vary from industry to industry; but the bottom line is it seems brands need to be proactive about this industry shift, as no amount of positive “press” can outweigh the voices of the masses.
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