Customer story
Trustpilot helps Churchill Gowns graduate to a whole new level and grow their business
Problem
University students can be reluctant to hire gowns from anywhere other than where their University recommends, even if the alternative is better and cheaper.
Solution
Leverage social proof and show students that other students had been using and loving their gowns.
Result
Over 700% increase in sales, 1891% return on ad spend, and #1 in Google search results.
Churchill Gowns provides a sustainable alternative to graduation gowns than the traditional suppliers promoted by universities. Their gowns are made from 70% recycled plastic and are designed to perfectly match the regulations for almost all UK universities.
Despite the affordability and eco credentials of Churchill Gowns’ regalia, many students can be reluctant to hire their gowns from anywhere other than the suppliers their university specifically recommends.
That’s why peer reviews are so important to the business: students are much more likely to order one of their gowns if they know others have done the same. That’s why Churchill Gowns decided to leverage a review platform they knew their customers would trust.
“Trustpilot was the natural choice for building this level of trust – the seamless invitation process made it easy to quickly gather reviews and the reputation of the brand means students trust that the good reviews they are reading are legitimate.”
Ruth Nicholls
Director of Operations
Churchill Gowns’ aim of partnering with Trustpilot was to encourage students to understand the authenticity of their gowns – that these are the real deal, not fancy dress or cheap imitations.
Churchill Gowns uses Trustpilot widgets across its website. The homepage features the number of reviews, the Trustpilot logo and links to over 1,000 customer reviews. To showcase their glowing reviews, they have also created short video reels to post on social media where they can target specific universities and their students.
Some students still reach out for reassurance, querying whether the gowns are really suitable to wear for graduation. In response, the customer service team can simply send them a link to their Trustpilot page – and usually see a sale almost instantly.
Orders +700% | 1891% ROAS | #1 Google search results
Churchill Gowns has seen many obvious benefits to partnering with Trustpilot. Their Trustpilot page ranks number one on Google and has had 4,400 views in the last year alone, with a click-through rate of 7.9%.
Sales have skyrocketed by 700% since collecting Trustpilot reviews, and their rating has improved from 4.4 in 2019, to an impressive 4.8 today – well above the industry average.
Churchill Gowns have also seen an undeniable improvement in their social media advertising results. When their Trustpilot rating is not featured in their ads, their return on advertising spend (ROAS) stood at 746%. However, when incorporating their Trustpilot rating (either the number of reviews, TrustScore, or customer review) Churchill Gowns witnessed a remarkable increase in ROAS to 1891%. That’s an impressive 153% increase in return.
Churchill Gowns consistently features Trustpilot reviews and TrustScore in their advertisements across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat. They also incorporate their TrustScore in other marketing materials like physical posters and flyers.
At first, Churchill Gowns’ aim was to gather as many reviews as possible to help build trust and a reputation amongst university students. They’ve seen for themselves how their customers feel reassured by Trustpilot and are happy to make their own choices rather than follow the crowds. Now Churchill Gowns is focused on showcasing their reputation, expanding their marketing and planning for the future.
