How L’Oreal is turning to consumer reviews to boost online sales
L’Oreal is hoping a new investment in consumer review technology will help instil confidence its brands such as L'Oréal Paris and Garnier.
Given that not all L'Oreal's websites don’t have e-commerce functionality, L'Oréal Paris and Garnier historically couldn’t benefit from post-purchase email triggers to generate large numbers or reviews, which take time to build up. To combat this the beauty company has worked with a newly launched advocacy platform BzzReviews, created/devised by dunnhumby’s BzzAgent, which aims to drive e-commerce sales and build brand trust via reviews from consumers.
The tool works by generating reviews based on product trials and experiences, which are then broadcast via syndication partners, including Bazaarvoice, to relevant brand pages and retail websites.
For L’Oreal consumer reviews provide “invaluable insight” in to its product use and are one of the brand’s “most powerful routes to increasing sales”, according to Sam Crossman, senior digital manager, L’Oreal Paris UK.
“We understand the value of reviews to both the online and in-store shoppers. Reviews reassure consumers and provide invaluable insight into product use and suitability,” he told The Drum.
“The insight we receive from running review panels feeds directly back into brand marketing campaigns, and could even influence product develohelp instil confidence its brandspment.
“Reviews and other user-generated content are integral to our overall digital and ecommerce strategies… We know that peer to peer recommendation is a very important part of the consideration journey, whether directly through friends and family, or through peer group association.”
According to Nielsen’s 2015 Global Trust in Advertising survey, 66 per cent of people trust consumer opinions posted online. Meanwhile Dunnhumby recently found that 84 per cent of shoppers regularly look at reviews to help decide which products to buy.
L’Oreal will target consumers mostly via age but will also look at whether someone’s hair is coloured, or if they have sensitive skin, for example.
“We can ask questions of a panel too, so we can further narrow down to find the audience we’ve developed the product for, and get the product out to them to trial,” added Crossman.