You may have noticed that the most recent television adverts for Max Factor products use star ratings given by individual (named) customers, rather than by experts. We think this is a smart way of taking note of what the evidence about customer buying behaviour can teach us. 2014 figures suggest that fewer than 14% of people trust information in adverts (imagine what that means for the return on investment for advertisers?), meanwhile the number of people who report trusting information from their peers has risen to 84%. Merging the two and using verifiable peer reviews in adverts may be a smart strategy to increase brand credibility. Lidl are using a similar concept in their roadside adverts and we’d expect to see a few more brands following this route – have you spotted any recently? Are you making the most of peer reviews of your product and service?

Blog by Isla…