Prior to the arrival of mass blogging platforms, such as WordPress, Tumblr & Blogger, product reviews were the bread and butter of a new or updated product’s world debut. PR pros would enlist key reviewers from the most influential publications to honor an embargo, and in return, receive shiny new hardware or a snazzy software package to test drive before it was available to the public. The grand idea being that these reviewers would publish favorable opinions on the day of the product launch and influence consumers to purchase said new product.
While Apple is repeatedly cited as an example, I chose to highlight the company because it presents strong examples for why a reviews program can be successful as well as how it can backfire.
Exhibit A: For every version of the iPhone we’ve seen to date, Apple gives early models of their new phones to top-tier reviewers such as Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal, David Pogue of The New York Times and one or two other reviewers who are deemed influential. These early reviews typically show up on the Wednesday before the device was publicly available and drive consumers and other reporters wild with envy. What would ensue were HUGE lines of people fighting over the sometimes 20-25 devices available on launch day at each Apple store, while the rest of the country anxiously buzzed about when they would be able to get their hands on a device of their own. In this instance, product reviews drove consumer excitement and maddening sales figures. This seems like a successful reviews program to me.
Exhibit B: Recently when Apple’s newest iPhone 4 had issues with its antenna, Consumer Reports publicly recommended against purchasing the device. What resulted can only be described as a metaphorical lynch mob. Consumers demanded a response from Apple, who remained silent for several days, and complained loudly via every medium available about the woes of owning an iPhone 4. Apple was forced to publicly acknowledge the issue and provide free cases for all iPhone 4 users. In this instance, not properly addressing concerns first brought to light in a product review actually damaged the company’s reputation and cost it more money.
As with my second example, you can’t hide from product reviews. However, since anyone with a Facebook or Twitter account or a blog can instantly become a reviewer, running a successful and strategic reviewers program, as in my first example, has become significantly more difficult. Which brings me around to the question, are product reviews still relevant? How can consumers tell the difference between a biased reviewer and an unbiased one? Do consumers even care about the biases of reviewers? Would a consumer find a review from a friend or colleague makes more of an impact on their purchasing decisions than a journalist?
Here are a few of my thoughts:
- Product reviews are still relevant because they help drive buzz about a product or service, which effects sales figures. I recommend not forgoing a reviews program just because it may be difficult to manage.
- If a reviewer has problems or issues with your product, do your best to listen and promptly acknowledge and address the situation. Most people are forgiving of problems, but they aren’t forgiving of being ignored or pacified.
- Accept the good reviews and the bad. While products go through their testing paces before being released to market, it’s difficult to test for every way someone may use it in the real world. Be gracious to a reviewer that has uncovered a glitch or shortcoming, and be sure to send that feedback to the development team.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on reviews and how much time and effort PR pros should spend on this part of a PR plan.