This document discusses word of mouth strategies for retail in three parts: 1) Attract the researching consumer by including reviews on product pages to improve search engine optimization and attract more visitors, 2) Provide an engaging customer experience by using reviews to inform and convince shoppers in both online and offline settings, and 3) Build loyalty by listening to customer sentiment in reviews and adapting products and services based on customer feedback.

1. 1 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.1
Online and in the Aisle:
Word of Mouth Strategies for Retail
Dalia Seidner, Director of APAC Marketing, Bazaarvoice

2. 2 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
dalia.seidner@bazaarvoice.com
@daluch

3. 3 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
What exactly is word of mouth?

4. 4 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Agenda
• How the consumer has changed
• Three word of mouth strategies for the constantly
transformative retail environment:
1. Attract the researching consumer
2. Provide an engaging experience
3. Build loyalty

5. 5 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Consumers have changed

6. 6 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Digital WorldPhysical World
Today,
we live in
simultaneous
worlds…

7. 7 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
ROBO- The way they shop has changed
Shopping can happen at any time, any place.
For every
$1
spent online,
$4.94
is influenced
offline³
³Forrester 2013 Cross-Industry Study

8. 8 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
The “Zero Moment of Truth”
Stimulus
First Moment of Truth
(Shelf)
Second Moment
of Truth
(Experience)
Source: https:/www.consumerbarometer.com/en/insights/?countryCode=AU
10.4sources
of information before
making a purchase
decision
Consumers look
at an average of

9. Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.9
EPSOtherBazaarvoice - 601701849Confidential and Proprietary. ©
2011 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
9

10. 10 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.

11. 11 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
The new communication
platform
Global
connectivity
has
EXPLODED
20%of the world population
owns a smartphone2
30%of product pageviews
in APAC market are
through mobile1Sources:
1. Conversation Index 8 “based on statistical
modeling of transactional data from numerous
product categories”
2. https://www.consumerbarometer.com/en/
insights/?countryCode=AU
3. https://www.consumerbarometer.com/en/
insights/?countryCode=AU
23%of Australian smartphone
users used their
smartphone during
their last purchase3

12. 12 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
The messages they trust have changed
“A brand is no longer what we tell consumers it is – it is what consumers tell
each other it is.” - Scott D. Cook, Founder, Intuit; Board of Directors, eBay and P&G

13. 13 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
1 Nielsen, 2012.
What do consumers trust?
92%
76%
94%
Of consumers trust earned
media above all other
advertising¹
Asia-Pacific consumers trust
consumer opinions posted
online¹
Asia-Pacific consumers trust
“recommendations from
people I know”¹
Consumers have
more trust in
reviews than in
traditional
brand
advertising.2
³Forrester 2014 Consumer Study
3X

14. 14 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Directing the path to purchase to lead to you
Experience
#2: Deliver an engaging retail
Loyalty
#3: Build
#1: Attract
the researching consumer

15. 15 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Use word of mouth content to help the
researching consumer find you
Attract

16. 16 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Product Page w/ Reviews
Product Details
(~150 words)
Reviews
(~800 words)
Header (~100 words)
Footer (~100 words)
Ads
(nominal)
Recommendations
(nominal)
Product Details
(~150 words)
Header (~100 words)
Footer (~100 words)
Recommendations
(nominal)
Ads
(nominal)
Typical Product Page Attract
Source: BV Client Data

17. 17 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Product Page w/ Reviews
Product Details
(~150 words)
Reviews
(~800 words)
Header (~100 words)
Footer (~100 words)
Ads
(nominal)
Recommendations
(nominal)
Fresh content
gets rewarded
in search
algorithms
Attract
Source: BV Client Data
Reviews impact search results in three ways:
Reviews give
search engines
more content
to crawl
Page becomes
relevant for a
wider range of
keyword search
terms

18. 18 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Product Page w/ Reviews
Product Details
(~150 words)
Reviews
(~800 words)
Header (~100 words)
Footer (~100 words)
Ads
(nominal)
Recommendations
(nominal)
Attract
Source: BV Client Data
15%lift to organic
search traffic to
product pages

19. 19 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Friskies increases organic search traffic
28%increase in traffic
to pages with
reviews
147%increase in traffic
coming from phrases
that contain the
word “review”
Attract

20. 20 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Deliver an engaging retail experience
with word of mouth content
Experience

21. • Language
• Logic
• Critical thinking
• Numbers
• Reasoning
Validate
• Recognizing faces
• Expressing emotions
• Spontaneity
• Intuition
• Creativity
Inspire
Shoppers are both
Rational and Emotional
Experience

22. 22 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
40-70% of online shoppers
read reviews before buying
online
Convert 2x higher after
reading
15-50% of shoppers who
purchased in-store read
reviews before buying
1 in 10 shoppers go
elsewhere when they do not
find reviews
In the digital world, consumers
research regardless of where they buy...
Experience
EXIT

23. 23 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Differentiate your
shopping experience
• Increase product awareness and perception
• Become a destination of information not just a transaction
Average Order Value – 4%
Conversion – 15%
Revenue Per Visit – 19%
Experience

24. 24 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Deliver word of mouth in-store
• Integrate word of mouth at the point of sale
• Display content that helps shoppers connect to products
Experience

25. 25 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Build loyalty by listening and
responding to what customers say
Loyalty

26. 26 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
John Lewis: Sentiment Analysis
Turns Product Insight into Customer Advocacy
Loyalty

27. 27 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Review insights improve product mix and merchandising
Adapt to consumer sentiment
Loyalty
Discover
customer
dissatisfaction
through
reviews

28. 28 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Use sentiment analysis
across your business
bring
backthe
pocket
Loyalty

29. 29 Confidential and Proprietary. © 2015 Bazaarvoice, Inc.
Dalia Seidner
Director of APAC Marketing
dalia.seidner@bazaarvoice.com
@daluch
Experience
#2: Deliver an engaging retail
Loyalty
#3: Build#1: Attract
the researching consumer