Why the customer review isn’t always right

There’s no doubt that customer reviews can add value to a brand’s website, and contribute to building a conversation with customers (MW last week). But to have a real conversation, you need to have something to say.

And if you want the conversation to be meaningful, what you say has to be both useful and engaging to your customers.

Branded content fills this role because it can deepen the relationship with the brand, forming part of a higher-quality conversation where the customer considers the brand, its ethos and their attachment to it, rather than just rating the product.

In the long run, this will ultimately protect the brand’s identity against negative reviews and help to cement customer relationships, thus helping to deliver long-lasting loyalty and brand advocacy.

Ian BetteridgeEditor, Redwood see cover story