The problem
Sony recognized its need for online reviews to increase consumer trust, brand awareness, and e-commerce growth. The company had no online customer service to address questions regarding their SRS-XB20/SRS-XB30/SRS-XB40 Portable Bluetooth speaker. Having ratings and reviews was therefore the only to way provide consumers with clarity on the product while optimizing the product’s position in the search engine results.
“We tried several review marketing solutions and I collaborated with online retailers to run cashback campaigns,” said Joost van de Beld, Brand Activation & MarCom Specialist at Benelux. “I realized quickly that quality reviews don’t come from people that are expecting an incentive.”
Objectives and strategy
We came to the conclusion that the main objective of the campaign was to increase clarity on Sony’s portable and wireless bluetooth speaker. Since the product was complex and had many features, it made sense that they needed customer reviews to address aspects of the product that the company may not have been able to share.
Sony first took the time to share their ideal reviewer profile with us before we invited the selected candidates to write reviews on the bluetooth speaker. For this campaign, we quickly delivered 38 written reviews with a 187-word count average in less than four weeks.
The results
Van de Beld was extremely satisfied with not only the quick turnaround time of our services but also the quality of the reviews we were able to collect from the reviewers who tested the bluetooth speaker.
“People seem to take their considered time to write their reviews and back up their story, name specific product features and talk more about the USPs of the product,” he remarked.
As a result of our contributions, two of Sony’s speakers were awarded “Best Reviewed” by Keskeurig for providing in-depth and thorough insight on the products that the retailer sites would not have provided otherwise.
“These types of accolades not only contribute to greater exposure for the product but also greater consumer trust,” Van de Beld says.
Why Sony loved working with us
As with many marketing departments, pressure is high and time is of the essence. That’s why we love working with Stars and Stories. Communications and expectations were always clear and transparent. We knew the investment and exactly what we get in return, including a detailed timeframe.
Joost van de Beld, Brand Activation & MarCom Specialist at Benelux