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Brands that take a stand: Marketers who match consumers’ desire for purpose come out on top 

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Trustworthy reviews: How do competing platforms stack up?

Review platforms have the power to make a difference for companies and consumers alike. Trustworthy reviews help consumers cut through choice paralysis and they can help standout companies stand out. In this blog, we compare Trustpilot to its competitors.

Customers are getting frozen by the infinite shelf — countless choices, endless advertisements, a parade of brands doing and saying similar things. 

Practically every single industry is packed full of competitors jostling for position and consumer attention. For businesses, that means the margins for online success – or failure – are razor thin. 

__Review platforms have the power to make a real difference in this space for companies and consumers alike.__ Trustworthy reviews help consumers cut through choice paralysis and they can help standout companies *really* stand out. 

What should companies consider when assessing the potential power of a review platform?

- Customer-centric features that provide an easy, friction-free experience for writing and accessing reviews.
- The platform’s capacity to generate a real, tangible business impact.
- And most importantly – trust, transparency and visibility of the reviews themselves.

## How do we compare the review platforms?

When considering an online review platform, it’s common for businesses to initially focus on the technical feature set. Does the platform let them display reviews on their site? Can they communicate with customers that have reviewed them? How easy is it to invite people to leave reviews?

However, before all of that, it’s important to focus on what makes the whole thing work: __the transparency, independence and integrity of the platform and its reviews.__ You could be looking at the slickest, most intuitive, business-boosting review platform there is, but if these core fundamentals aren’t in place, then it will all be for nothing. 

This matters for both end customers and businesses. Businesses need assurance that the reviews they receive are genuine, accurate and acceptable (for instance, no abuse or personally identifiable information used). And customers need to know that business profiles are fairly run – no hiding of bad reviews, no fake reviews, and no paid reviews. 


the importance of non-perfect trustscores

At Trustpilot, we pride ourselves on knowing that when you see our name, you know those ratings and reviews can be trusted. But – like all industries online – we’re operating in a busy space, and it’s only right that we take a look at how the competition stacks up in terms of trustability. So let’s take a look at how three other review platforms fare: Feefo, Yotpo & Reviews.io.

## Feefo

Feefo is fundamentally different to Trustpilot. Trustpilot is a true ‘open’ platform, whereas Feefo runs what’s called a ‘closed’ platform. This means that, on Feefo, reviews can only be written by customers who are specifically invited to do so by the business. That means if you’re not invited to leave a review, you can’t leave a review. So why does this matter? 

At Trustpilot, anyone who has a genuine experience with a business can leave their feedback for the company to respond to. 

This ‘open’ approach means that a business gains a wider variety of consumer viewpoints. Yes, this means that a business might receive some negative reviews, but consumers are actually looking for a balanced report card. [*Very few* consumers](https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2016/01/opinion-techcrunch-reviews#sthash.r0JVpjpg.dpuf) trust a business that only has glowing, five-star reviews, and will therefore be less likely to purchase.  An ‘open’ approach not only helps the business better understand its products and services, but is also more trusted by consumers.

Additionally, we don’t think that feedback should be limited to people who have bought something. For example, we think that the feedback from someone who decided not to buy something can be just as valuable to a business. 

To complement this, we also absolutely encourage businesses to invite all customers to leave reviews. Our transparent approach encourages businesses to automate their review invitations, meaning *every* customer is contacted for an open and honest set of responses. Furthermore, any reviews that are submitted in response to an automated invite is labelled as ‘verified’, as it has come from a genuine customer that the business has contacted. Just another trust layer for peace of mind. 

This openness resonates with consumers. Independent research from Sirkin Research showed that [87% of consumers in the UK and US find ads more trustworthy with the Trustpilot logo](https://business.trustpilot.com/marketing/trust-mark-research) and stars.

## Yotpo

Yotpo is another ‘closed’ platform, with a similar lack of openness to Feefo. With Yotpo, businesses hold all of the cards when it comes to who they invite to write reviews. Simply put, it isn’t an ‘open’ platform where an unprompted customer can log in and leave a review without being asked first. 

So the average consumer is unable to make an account, verify themselves and then begin to rate businesses they’ve engaged with. Here, businesses are free to only send links to particular customers. Whilst most businesses will act properly, there is always a risk that businesses are only sending out invites to those that they want to hear from. 

In contrast, at Trustpilot, we encourage businesses to invite all of their consumers to leave reviews, using a variety of methods. We also offer consumers the ability to leave unprompted reviews. We then mark these reviews as to how they were collected (invite, automated invite or unprompted), and mark reviews collected via automated invites as verified. 

This helps to nullify any potential biases in the reviews and overall scoring for a business.

It’s also a fundamental truth that business should know: that an honest profile – including reviews that have issues or constructive criticism as part of them – will land better with an online-savvy audience who know when something appears too good to be true. 

## Reviews.io

Reviews.io is an ‘open’ platform, where anyone can review a business, subject to the review being verified. And that’s a really strong tool in their arsenal. 

One notable aspect with Reviews.io is their blanket import feature that allows people to comb and shift reviews from other sites, combining them within the Reviews.io platform. Doesn’t sound all bad – but when these non-vetted reviews can affect and skew the overall score for a company, it casts serious doubt on the overall business score validity.

*Disclaimer time:* We also have an import feature for people that want to consolidate their review presence through Trustpilot. The crucial difference however is that these reviews are only for products, not service reviews, and notably, the imported reviews don’t affect the overall TrustScore. These product review ratings can only impact the product’s star rating, rather than the company’s TrustScore.

Another aspect where Reviews.io and Trustpilot differ is with the reviews themselves. When an issue is raised with a review, what happens? Striking the line between minimising undue fallout for a business and maintaining transparency throughout the review process is of the utmost importance. 

Whilst Reviews.io takes a review offline when it is being investigated and decides behind the curtain whether it remains or is deleted, we don’t agree with hiding contentious reviews while they’re being evaluated. Of course, reviews flagged for containing harmful, abusive or containing illegal content are swiftly taken down as part of the moderation process, but normal reviews that are being queried remain visible, with a clear marker next to them, stating that they are being investigated at the current time. 

## Shades of verification 

Now that we’ve examined the competition, a quick word on the Trustpilot approach: Trust is a cornerstone of our platform — that means providing radical transparency and openness, filtered through an important lens of verification. 

Businesses can set up verified profiles, backed up with proof that says they are who they say they are. This is then shared with consumers as an additional level of transparency. And we encourage the same for consumer profiles too; it’s not mandatory, but something we feel is important: trust goes both ways. Our Trustpilot community told us that this was something they wanted - they’re concerned about knowing whom to trust online, and are happy to provide reassurance for others by confirming their identity. This demonstrates that the reviews are from real people, providing another valuable trust signal.

On that note, businesses are given communication tools to engage with their customers, resolve issues and flag malicious reviews as easily as possible. We’re constantly looking to adapt how we approach illicit reviews too. Recently, we have introduced a review filtering process that can scan for bad behaviors in a matter of hours before reviews are published to our site. Less time for businesses spent hunting down bad actors, and more time doing what they do best. 

________________________________

__Trust equals better business outcomes.__

When consumers see proof that a brand is trustworthy — it impacts their buying decisions. Here are some findings from a [study recently conducted with London Research](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/the-value-of-customer-ratings-and-reviews-in-advertising-in-the-us).

- An online advertisement with the Trustpilot logo and stars is __twice as persuasive__ as the same ad without them.
- Consumers are __88% more likely to click through__ on a Trustpilot co-branded ad with a verbatim customer review.
- Including a Trustpilot star rating is proven to __increase social campaign performance__.

________________________________


Business verification, partnerships with eCommerce platforms and account-based support are just some of the other tools in our box. And yes, businesses can choose to showcase their best reviews via their Trustpilot site widget, but again, radical transparency: we’ll put a note on their profile to signal that’s what’s happening.

Altogether, this strategy to serve both businesses and consumers means that access is universal and verified, consumers are given transparent information regarding a company's profile, and everything serves to build earned trust.

## Getting reviews right

Once upon a time, reviews were considered a ‘nice to have’. That time has passed. In a hyper-competitive, internet-savvy period, they are now an essential differentiator for businesses to succeed.  

Want to see how the Trustpilot platform feels? 

6 Steps to successfully adopt brand purpose

We know that brand purpose achieves many of the objectives marketers set for themselves, but we also know it’s difficult to successfully adopt. Here are six pointers to help

Despite this, some marketers believe that there are good reasons not to adopt purpose. Chief among these, marketers worry that if purpose is not adopted authentically, then it could cause problems because they could be perceived as dishonest.

It’s therefore a good idea to devote time and attention to purpose. Based on our research of 600 CMOs and 7,000 consumers, we have identified a 6-point plan to help brands get purpose right.

## 1. Treat your employees well

We know from our research that consumers link the treatment of employees to the behavior of the company. Companies that treat their employees well are considered to be good companies.

According to our research, almost half (45%) of consumers say companies that ‘treat employees well’ would make them more likely to buy a product or service from that company. 

In addition, three in five (61%) of CMOs say they believe that their own customers care about human and worker rights. Finally, almost four in five (78%) of consumers say that they would make a comment or review about a brand’s human or worker rights record.

Taken together, we can see a correlation between a positive perception of the treatment of employees and positive perception of the whole company.

One real example is software giant Microsoft. Over the 1990s, the reputation inside the firm was of long hours and total dedication to the company. Employees were well-paid, but pressure was intense.

Fast forward to February 2014 and the company was in a crisis. The work culture was notoriously male, combative and confrontational. New CEO Satya Nadella led by example, dialing down the aggression and bringing in something more holistic, collaborative and positive.

In their book From Incremental to Exponential: How Large Companies Can See the Future and Rethink Innovation, Vivek Wadhwa, Ismail Amla and Alex Salkever [describe how the results were revolutionary](https://fortune.com/2021/12/21/microsoft-cultural-transformation-book-excerpt-satya-nadella). 

On the one hand, Nadella overhauled and rationalized the Microsoft product line. More importantly, he made the company a nice place to work. By any measure, this approach was an astounding success, promoting better productivity and a winning culture. Microsoft now regularly wins awards for its approach to employees – something unthinkable back in the 1990s.

## 2. Employ the right people

If, like in the example above, you can make your workplace genuinely attractive, then it becomes much easier to employ the right people.

Key people can be transformative for brands, giving the company direction and acting as an accelerant towards a specific goal. Such a goal could be brand purpose.

The hiring of Patrick Neyret at Danone has been one such appointment. Now marketing director DACH, plant-based at food giant Danone, he has been key in pivoting the company towards purpose, and he has become a notable cheerleader for purpose more generally.

Now leading the brand’s foray into plant-based foods, he is turning an enthusiasm for purpose into a commercial imperative by focusing on plant-based foods to displace the traditional meat-based alternatives which have higher environmental impact.

## 3. Get internal buy-in

If the internal culture is right and you have the right people in the right places, this is still not enough.

To achieve successful purpose, staff need to not only understand, but also feel an emotional connection to that purpose.

One way to do this is to launch an internal advertising campaign to convey to staff what the project is all about.

Another way to gain the confidence of staff is to give them control. By giving staff the ability to shape and lead the direction of your brand’s purpose, they will become more engaged.

What this also means is that the company has to step away to some extent and trust its employees to manage its purpose. While it’s a relatively small example, the Cummings Properties employee-directed giving program offers employees the ability to choose where to donate $1,000 to a non-profit.

The project has been a staggering success and [builds meaningful connections between employees and the recipients](https://qz.com/575840/bottom-up-giving-the-company-that-lets-employees-choose-which-local-charities-to-support/), creating a virtuous circle of purpose.

## 4. Ensure clarity of purpose

Be focused.

In 2002, Dutch journalist Teun van de Keuken covered stories about the use of child slavery in the cocoa supply chain, meaning that the chocolate we eat had been produced using slave labor at points in the supply chain. 

While waiting for action from government he embarked on an experiment: to produce slave-free chocolate. All 20,000 bars sold out within two days and the experiment turned into a company: Tony’s Chocolonely.

The idea is simple – produce chocolate that does not involve slavery.

In practice this has been exceptionally difficult to achieve, and like many products with a strong purpose, occasional stories emerge showing faults and exploited people in the supply chain, but the company strives to put these right at the earliest opportunity.

However, the cocoa in the chocolate has been traceable since 2013 and the cocoa butter since 2016. 

The brand’s focus transcends the sourcing and is evident in both the packaging and even the way the chocolate breaks – not in regular squares, but irregular shapes that show the unfairness in society. The purpose and the product have become interchangeable.

## 5. Embed purpose into operations

Adopting purpose is not for the faint-hearted, as the multinational Unilever has discovered.

Rather like the example of Tony’s Chocolonely, Unilever is attempting to address the unfairness in its operations. Where it differs is that Tony’s was founded on those principles, whereas Unilever is a large conglomerate that has attempted to focus operations on purpose.

Unilever embarked on this change in 2010 as part of its ‘sustainable living plan’, to some bemusement because there was suspicion about its intentions and credibility.

In this case, the company has shown that it is serious by staying focused, and to some extent other companies have since followed Unilever’s lead. 

While there have been anomalies along the way, Unilever takes its approaches seriously, and believes that there are commercial benefits, [with sustainable brands growing 69% more quickly](https://www.unilever.com/news/news-search/2019/brands-with-purpose-grow-and-here-is-the-proof/) than other lines since 2018.

## 6. Think about business opportunity rather than business impact

Finally, those suspicious of brand purpose often say it can damage operations, hit profits and open them to unnecessary criticism. 

But the reverse is true – purpose offers businesses an opportunity to relate to customers and give them a reason to choose your brand over another. Purpose can open the door to new markets and make a positive impact. Not adopting purpose could be a catastrophic error.

If you'd like to find out more about the importance of brand purpose today, why not download a free copy of our latest report *Brands that take a stand: Marketers who match consumers’ desire for purpose and honesty come out on top?*

It's quick and easy, just click the link below.

6 Ways to successfully use brand purpose

Why some brands shun purpose and honesty

Despite a strong alignment between purpose and marketing objectives, some brands seem uninterested in purpose, with some even apparently suspicious of honesty in marketing.

Assuming that’s right, how does this translate into approaches to marketing? Over 2022 we surveyed 7,000 consumers and 600 marketing leaders about their perspectives, to discover where they agree or disagree on this topic.

Customers do value brand purpose (where a brand takes an ethical, sustainable, or political stance), with close to half (47%) saying it’s important to them.

We also discovered a strong alignment between CMOs’ marketing objectives and the benefits of purpose. CMOs say that improving loyalty, increasing sales, winning new customers and building a reputable brand are the top four benefits when thinking about both purpose and marketing objectives.

It’s for this reason that three in five (59%) of CMOs promote purpose to some extent. But almost a quarter (24%) do not.

When we dig a little deeper, we find a small group of marketers resistant to purpose and even honesty.

## Avoiding purpose

Of the 24% that do not promote brand purpose, almost half of them (10% of the total surveyed) do not promote any kind of ethical, sustainable, or political stance.

There may be good reasons for brands to take this approach. 

We know that there are [five main barriers to adopting purpose](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/5-barriers-to-adopting-brand-purpose-and-why-you-shouldnt-let-them-stand-in-your-way) and many of the reasons that emerged show that many brands are nervous about the problems of adopting purpose authentically and the dangers of perceived inauthenticity.

This preoccupation can act as a disincentive to adopting brand purpose until the brand’s concerns are met and dealt with.

## Keeping away from purpose

When asked how important brand purpose is to their customers, seven in ten (70%) of CMOs say that purpose is important.

Conversely, 19% say that purpose is unimportant to their customers.

When clarifying their stance, 14% of the total say that brand purpose is ‘not relevant’ to their customers. Simply – these CMOs say that their customers do not care.

This is a familiar refrain – of respondents seeing their job as producing a specific product or service, and purpose as irrelevant. This is an increasingly untenable approach if [half of consumers (47%) value purpose](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/brand-integrity-the-new-frontier-for-marketing). 

It could be that those companies who believe purpose to be irrelevant for their customers map perfectly onto those consumers who have no interest in purpose either (7% of consumers say purpose is ‘extremely unimportant’ to them). 

But this is unlikely.

## Honesty is not always the best policy?

The research shows a stubborn proportion of CMOs resisting not just purpose, but honesty. One in eleven (9%) CMOs say honesty is not important to their customers.

Conversely, 80% of CMOs say honesty is important to their customers. 

We know that customers believe strongly in honesty, with the overwhelming majority (94%) of consumers say honesty is important to them.

It’s therefore difficult to empathize with the position of this 9% of CMOs. 

If honesty is not important to customers, what does that mean? That CMOs can mislead about their product or service and customers will not mind? 

This seems a very risky strategy, but this strange result seems to show that this 9% does indeed believe brand honesty is overrated.

By contrast, CMOs reveal a litany of dire outcomes for those participating in dishonest marketing, including poor reviews or ratings (46%), reduced sales (42%), negative word-of-mouth (35%) and reduced loyalty (30%).

So, dishonesty is risky. But this stubborn 9% disagrees.

## The risks of dishonesty

When asked about the risks of dishonest brand marketing, this 9% who say there are no risks, are joined by another 21% who say the risks of dishonesty are ‘negligible’.

Could there be another way of examining this? Could it be that some marketers see dishonest businesses ‘getting away with it’? Possibly. Here it’s necessary to separate two sets of respondents. 

First are the ‘cynics’ who are suspicious of brand purpose, and even of honesty, in marketing. These respondents may produce misleading marketing, but see no penalty for doing so.

Second are the ‘pragmatists’ who can perhaps see dishonest brand marketing occurring from the ‘cynics’ and see no penalty for those cynical brands’ dishonest marketing.

Essentially, the first group produces dishonest marketing while the second witnesses that dishonesty, and sees few consequences.

One company known to have been dishonest in its operations is Volkswagen, which in 2015, was exposed as having misled regulators and consumers about the environmental performance of its diesel vehicles. 

Their ‘clean diesel’ was marketed as exactly that – a clean and responsible choice. The company had in fact been falsifying lab tests for up to seven years using a special piece of software that could spot when a test was underway and reduce emissions for the duration of the test, leaving a lasting false impression.

This was a sophisticated and considered piece of dishonesty. Not only did the scandal hit Volkswagen’s brand hard, but it was also subject to fines of up to $61 billion in the US alone, and its CEO quit.

As mentioned above, the penalties for dishonest marketing can be severe, as Volkswagen discovered.

## A path through

One in 12 (8%) of CMOs follow this pattern:

First, they do not promote an ethical stance in their marketing – they are part of the 24% who do not promote an ethical, sustainable, or political stance.

In addition, they believe that their customers are not interested in brand purpose, which is true for 19% of the total – this group represents almost half of those who are skeptical about the relevancy of purpose for their customers.

Finally, this group believes honesty and transparency are important to their customers. In this case, they form part of the majority opinion.

There is a paradox here. If a company decides to be more transparent about its operations, this strategy only works when there is good news to tell. 

If the company uses, for example, slave labor, it’s difficult to see how more transparency would be a good outcome. Unless they abolished slave labor in their supply chain.

This is the opportunity for these brands: by clinging to honesty and transparency, and letting the implications of that play out, this shows a possible route towards more brand purpose.

By being more transparent, this should in turn drive greater responsibility and purpose.

If you'd like to read the full report *Brands that take a stand: Marketers who match consumers’ desire for purpose and honesty come out on top*, why not download your free copy today?

It's quick and easy, just click the link below.

The 5 barriers to adopting brand purpose + why you shouldn't let them stand in your way 

All CMOs say that there are barriers to adopting purpose, but many of these barriers can be overcome. We expect more companies to adopt ‘purpose’, or an ethical, sustainable, or political cause, as they think about their brand and its place in the market.

The top four benefits of purpose match marketers’ top four marketing objectives: 

1. Improving loyalty.
2. Winning new customers.
3. Increasing sales.
4. Building a reputable brand.

Despite this strong alignment between the benefits of purpose and marketers’ brand objectives, a quarter of brands (24%) avoid adopting purpose, with three in five (59%) only adopting brand purpose to some extent. 

While there are good reasons to adopt brand purpose, there may also be good reasons why brands do not.

Let’s look a little more closely at this 24%, and why brands may be disinclined to adopt purpose.

In our research we identified 15 separate barriers to adopting brand purpose, and every respondent chose one of these options – no CMOs said there were no barriers.

*Please note that for the themes below, grouped responses were de-duplicated, meaning the individual responses making up those groups will not add together neatly to give the total.*

## 1. Internal culture

Seven in ten (70%) of CMOs say that internal culture is a problem when trying to adopt brand purpose. The specific reasons fall into three main categories.

Firstly, the business culture may be resistant to change – half (50%) of all respondents cite this. Resistance to change is a universal problem, affecting larger organizations with complex or unwieldy bureaucracy more than smaller, more agile, companies.

However, even some smaller organizations may be owned and run by a single individual, and so run according to his or her whims. In such a case, if that person is resistant to brand purpose, then it will most likely not happen.

Secondly, employees may not be engaged. One-third (34%) cite this. Even in organizations keen to adopt brand purpose, if there is inertia amongst staff then, again, nothing of any substance will happen.

Thirdly, if senior stakeholders do not buy into the proposed brand purpose, then this will again feed through to staff and organizational outputs, meaning brand purpose will be neglected.

For all these barriers, the response is the same. For successful brand purpose to spread through an organization and be successfully adopted, all levels of the company must be engaged, from the CEO or owner, down through senior stakeholders and staff. There has to be unity of motivation for purpose to succeed.

## 2. Lack of skills

Without the right skills, it will be impossible to offer credible brand purpose, and three in five (61%) express issues that relate to skills. One in ten (10%) cite, ‘lack of talent/in-house skills’ as their problem when trying to adopt purpose.

Last year, Nike set stiff standards to [increase the proportion of women and ethnic minorities in senior positions](https://www.marketingweek.com/everything-that-matters-this-morning-08-march-2021). This helps the brand to meet diversity targets, but also helps to attract the right talent into the organization.

However, other respondents are more specific, showing they contemplate brand purpose more deeply.

Two in five (40%) say that they lack the data to understand their starting position. Another 20% say that there is a lack of agreement on best practice, or on what ‘good’ looks like. A further 16% say that there is a lack of universal benchmarking.

All of these final three cases seem to be valid problems. We know that those brands perceived as adopting purpose inauthentically, risk the ire of consumers. These respondents are keen to make progress, but face real barriers through lack of knowledge.

## 3. Regulation

Businesses do not operate in a vacuum and must meet minimum standards and respond to government pressure in the form of regulation. More than half of respondents (53%) say that regulation poses a problem.

More than two in five (44%) say that competing standards were a problem. This presumably relates to multinationals or companies that sell in more than one market, where the regulations in two different markets may have competing or even contradictory rules.

While this seems to be a valid problem, more stringent standards will mean products or services are acceptable in more markets. This perceived barrier may also relate to a lack of skilled people who understand those competing standards.

Another two in five (18%) say the reverse – that the lack of a universal standard or regulation is a problem. Companies do not want to adopt a particular standard only to find that that standard is redundant a short time later, creating inertia for this group.

Again, this seems to be a legitimate concern, but larger markets are attempting to align their standards to help businesses post-COP 26 with the formation of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) to coordinate this alignment of standards. So this concern should reduce over time.

## 4. Commercial impact

More than half (53%) say that adopting brand purpose would be a financial drain. The reverse may in fact be true – that the absence of any brand purpose could represent a problem. Unilever has taken this approach, embedding brand purpose into its portfolio of products. In 2019 it claimed that those brands [with purpose embedded grew 69% more quickly than those without](https://www.unilever.com/news/news-search/2019/brands-with-purpose-grow-and-here-is-the-proof/).

However, two in five (18%) say that adopting purpose would have commercial impact, with another 23% saying that they lack the budget to adopt purpose. 

Interestingly, a further three in ten (28%) seem hyper aware of taking the leap to adopt purpose because they fear failure and associated reputational risk. This group seems to be thinking deeply about the consequences of adopting purpose and how to get it right.

## 5. Relevance

One-third (34%) of businesses say that brand purpose is simply not relevant. Three in ten (30%) say that it is not relevant to their business, 14% say that it is not relevant to their customers, and 12% say that it is not part of their business strategy.

Again, we know that because of the close alignment of brand purpose and marketing objectives, these issues may be overblown or even misguided. For this group, they may believe that purpose is irrelevant, but in a situation where two similar brands compete, purpose does give consumers another reason to buy. This perception of irrelevance may be losing these companies sales.

### Conclusion

We know that consumers want purposeful brands, and we also know that brands understand this, but still resist the move to adopting purpose.

Authenticity remains a problem for those CMOs clearly considering purpose – those who lack the skills or those who worry about failing to adopt purpose properly, and risk being seen as dishonest. 

Many of these barriers can be overcome. Those brands that take the time to take purpose seriously, considering how their brand can adopt authentic purpose, will benefit.

Over time, brands will hire the right people and better understand their brand’s place and its relationship to purpose. For this reason, we would expect brands to move from not adopting purpose towards adopting purpose, or towards adopting purpose more strongly over time.

If you'd like to find out more about the importance of overcoming the barriers to brand purpose, why not download a free copy of our latest report *Brands that take a stand: Marketers who match consumers’ desire for purpose and honesty come out on top*?

It's quick and easy, just click the link below.


The 5 barriers to adopting brand purpose + why you shouldn't let them stand in your way

How to keep your brand's purpose on track

Brands that adopt purpose have significant advantages over those that do not. However, it’s wise to keep that purpose in check and aligned with your brand in case that purpose overstretches, which can cause problems.

According to our survey of 600 CMOs, the benefits of brand purpose include improved loyalty (for 71%), increased sales (69%), winning new customers (65%) and building a reputable brand (58%).

While these are attractive attributes in and of themselves, they are doubly attractive because they align with CMOs’ marketing objectives with a high degree of accuracy. CMOs want to increase sales (74%), win new customers (70%), improve loyalty (62%) and build a reputable brand (58%).

This neat alignment explains why purpose can work so well for brands.

## Brand focus

Embedding brand purpose into a business can take significant effort, through engaging staff, building momentum for the purpose, and then including the purpose in the brand’s overall focus.

This focus is crucial, and the reason why certain brands and their purpose align so successfully.

For example, outdoor clothing brand Patagonia is focused on the environment and campaigns on several fronts, from opposing oil drilling to supporting environmental groups, giving 1% of its sales to them. The brand and purpose are neatly aligned – clothing for the outdoors that protects the outdoors.

Toms Shoes was originally conceived to give a pair of shoes to those that needed them for every pair sold. The notion of giving a pair of shoes for every sale was a neat way to turn a buyer into a philanthropist, and this worked extremely well until 2019, where the brand decided to adapt to the idea to focus profits on grassroots groups with social impact, in a way they say will increase philanthropy further.

Both examples align the brand to the purpose very successfully, so the brand and its purpose are virtually synonymous.

## Overstretch

However, brands can sometimes take their purpose too far from their core rationale, or if the purpose becomes convoluted, consumers can be left confused. And this can pose a problem.

This overstretch can manifest itself in many ways.

__1. Purpose without purpose__

Brands that wear the clothes of purpose without walking the talk of purpose face a challenge from consumers.

Pepsi’s infamous ad featuring Kendal Jenner in 2017 portrayed the drink as a catalyst for both revolution and peace. With the # BlackLivesMatter movement growing in strength, this seemed clumsy at best, particularly as Pepsi had not previously displayed any notable brand purpose in the past that focused on social issues, although it has made environmental commitments.

To many, the ad seemed like a brazen attempt to jump on a growing trend of social equality, but without doing anything to further that cause. The brand was widely criticized for the ad, which it quickly dropped.

__2. Confusing purpose__

Handmade cosmetics brand Lush has a rich heritage of ethical behavior which includes a charter, it is against animal testing, and demands fairness from its supply chain.

But in 2018, it made a foray into areas far beyond its usual frame of reference – of undercover police officers masquerading as ordinary citizens. 

When Lush launched a series of articles and window displays under the #spycops banner, many customers were left bemused. The campaign criticized the police for their long-term policy of embedding undercover officers into activist groups. While there are clear issues at play, for example where women were tricked into relationships with undercover officers, it all seemed a little out of the ordinary for a cosmetics company.

Again, the brand quickly dropped the campaign.

__3. Purpose disconnect__

The ubiquitous Hellman’s mayonnaise brand (owned by Unilever) adopted the mission to ‘fight against food waste’. While the brand and purpose do seem to match at first glance – both relate to food – the question that emerged is, how?

How does a tub or tube of mayonnaise fight against food waste? The campaign was also hectoring of the customer to some extent.

The brand could not answer how exactly mayonnaise could reduce food waste, other than by buying the product and smothering leftovers in it. Brand owner Unilever has a larger mission, to embed brand purpose into its many products. Many of Unilever’s initiatives have been very successful and genuine. But in this case, it simply didn’t work. The link was forced and clumsy, seeming more focused on sales rather than purpose.

## Conclusion

Purpose can work well for a brand by aligning the product or service with the purpose itself. However, if the purpose overreaches the brand, it becomes a misalignment. Moreover, consumers are sensitive to the perceived honesty of a brand, with 94% saying brand honesty was important for them.

According to CMOs, that perception of dishonesty could hit reviews or ratings (according to 46% of CMOs), reduce sales (42%), reduce word-of-mouth (35%) and reduce loyalty (30%), so the effects of a perception of dishonesty are complex but significant.

To keep your brand aligned with its purpose and avoid the pitfalls explained above, it’s important to do three things:

Firstly, ask whether any new initiative can be backed-up by the brand. Pepsi’s foray into campaigning on social issues was not based on fact – it was pure marketing and seemed fake as a result.

Secondly, does a new campaign align with the brand and established purpose? Like Lush found, a brand – even one with a strong track record of campaigning – can find itself stuck when it ventures into areas that are tangential to what it is all about.

Finally, ask whether the purpose is oversold. Are the promises made about purpose realistic? Hellman’s found this when advising on food waste with few practical solutions that would make a real difference, even if the intentions were genuine.

While embedding purpose into a brand has many positive effects, there are risks if a brand overreaches, which can seem confusing, nonsensical or even dishonest. 

If you'd like to find out more about the importance of getting brand purpose right, why not download a free copy of our latest report *Brands that take a stand: Marketers who match consumers’ desire for purpose and honesty come out on top*? 

It's quick and easy, just click the link below.

What does purpose achieve?

Brands adopting purpose have a clear advantage over those that do not because the benefits of purpose so closely match marketing objectives. But this benefit can turn into an impairment if purpose is not adopted authentically.

Increasing numbers of consumers do make these considerations. But not all businesses have these brand missions, today referred to as brand ‘purpose’, or what the company stands for beyond profit and loss.

Purpose is increasingly popular amongst brands, tapping into growing public concern with issues like climate change, human rights and social equality. Brand purpose is the part of a business that gives something back and, when taken seriously, is like the beating heart of a business and often (but not always) ties in some way to its existing products and services.

There is a lively debate in marketing circles, not about whether brand purpose is a good or bad thing, but whether brand purpose is suitable to be used in marketing at all, with impassioned arguments on both sides.

## Purpose and people

Surveying 15,000 people in the UK, US, Australia, Sweden, France, Germany and Italy, we discovered two things. First, that a brand purpose is important for half (47%) of all consumers. 

Second, for this group the traditional marketing concerns of price, product and place, etc. are trumped by purpose. For half of consumers, a purpose-driven company is a strong incentive to buy, with just over 46% choosing purpose as their lead decision to buy, followed by the product or service in question for just below 46%, and then the treatment of employees for 45%.

This group of consumers is hyper-vigilant about putting their beliefs about society or the environment above traditional product categories.

## Purpose and marketing

When we look at marketers and their objectives and compare them to the perceived benefits of brand purpose, there is a significant overlap.

We asked 600 CMOs in those same countries about their attitudes to marketing and purpose.

When asked about their marketing priorities, the four most popular responses were to increase sales (for 74%), to win new customers (70%), improve loyalty (62%) and build a reputable brand (58%).

If we compare these responses to what marketers say are the benefits of adopting purpose, we find the same four benefits emerge: improve loyalty (71%), increase sales (69%), win new customers (65%) and build a reputable brand (58%).

From this we can conclude that adopting brand purpose matches strategic marketing objectives with a high degree of precision. There’s no reason not to adopt brand purpose – the benefits are clear.

## But there’s a but

When asked whether brand purpose is important for customers, marketers were unequivocal – they recognize that it is. Seven in 10 (70%) of CMOs say brand purpose was important to their customers.

However, according to our research, only 59% do adopt brand purpose, and of those, only 19% adopt brand purpose ‘strongly’.

Why do the number of CMOs adopting brand purpose lag behind what they know to be an effective driver of marketing objectives?

There are good reasons. 

On the one hand, the bureaucracy of modern businesses can make adopting brand purpose tricky. For example, 70% say internal culture held their business back from adopting purpose. Three in five (61%) cite lack of skills, and more than half (53%) cite regulation, with the same number saying adopting a purpose may have commercial impact.

Beyond these corporate concerns, another factor can act as a disincentive to marketers. Consumers value honesty in marketing very highly. According to our research, 94% say honesty is important to them when buying products or services.

Because consumers value honesty so highly, this opens up a risk for marketers. If brand purpose is adopted by a brand, customers will frown on those who fall short of their expectations.

The perception of dishonesty – even when it may be unwarranted – can have a real impact. Almost half of marketers (46%) expect the perception of dishonest marketing to produce negative ratings or reviews, while 42% expect reduced sales.

## Conclusion

For the quarter (24%) of brands that do not adopt a brand purpose, this seems to be a missed opportunity because marketing objectives so clearly follow the benefits of purpose.

But there’s a warning for marketers. 

Marketers already overestimate the extent to which their brand is trusted, with close to two-thirds (63%) saying their brand is more trusted than average – the right number is 50%. 

Brand purpose has to be taken seriously in order to succeed. Those that get brand purpose wrong may find they are punished by consumers in the court of public opinion because consumers increasingly consider a company’s purpose as an essential component of its offer. 

If you'd like to find out more about the importance of brand purpose, why not download a free copy of our latest report *Brands that take a stand: Marketers who match consumers’ desire for purpose and honesty come out on top*? It's quick and easy, just click the link below.

improving your trust signals

improving trust signals

Whether your website is lead-generation or sales, you need to convey professionalism to perform successfully online.

A website can have an amazing look with advanced functionality and state-of-the-art graphics, but if customers don’t feel like it is credible or legit, they will go elsewhere.

In this article, we give you seven ways to showcase trust signals at every touchpoint of the journey in order to reduce consumer hesitation, boost confidence and deliver better user experiences.

## Delivering better experiences by showcasing trust signals at key touchpoints

Somewhere between cyber-crimes, phony advertisements, emails, and websites, there are still online shoppers trusting in your website to be safe and frictionless. An unsecured site is an immediate turnoff for your visitors and if they can't trust you, they will quickly exit your site and head over to your competitor’s.

One way to stand out from your competitors and improve your website’s trust signals is by obtaining a security certificate. Brands lose upward 83.6% of sales because of cart abandonment and [19% abandon their carts](https://sleeknote.com/blog/trust-badges) because of payment security concerns. A security certificate is provided by the Certificate Authority (CA) that proves data such as banking and personal information is secured and encrypted between the server and browser. 

Phony pages are becoming terrifyingly accurate and difficult to differentiate as [phishing attacks](https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/what-is-phishing/) are becoming more common. 

These indicators will help you earn your customers' trust and reduce consumer hesitation while also increasing your conversion rate. Help your website improve its transparency and reinforce your customers' confidence in you. If you haven't read our [credibility checklist](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/10-things-that-make-a-website-credible-the-ultimate-checklist), we recommend starting here.

Our friends at [Redstage](http://redstage.com/) have built hundreds of sites for their clients, and know a thing or two about building trust on site. We've asked them to share how they recommend using security certificates to signal to buyers that your site is trusted.

### 1. Padlock icon

Security certificates are crucial to show customers your website is a secure, safe domain.

Websites without a valid security certificate may present visitors with a warning message on some browsers. This can have a damaging effect on conversion.

If you have a security badge, a closed padlock in the status bar will appear in your browser window. To date, SSL certificates have been paramount for ecommerce websites in particular. However, more recently they have shown to be a contributing factor to SEO rankings. The padlock icon is an indication that traffic coming to and from your website is encrypted. This should be an indicator to customers that your website is protectig all data and personal information entered on your site. While a padlock icon doesn't necessarily mean that a website is 100% safe, it can ease some worry for visitors and help boost trust.

Not everyone understands what security certificates do, but the negative impact on conversion, should you not have one in place, would be tremendous.

### 2. HyperText transfer protocol secure

Once your website becomes verified through the Certificate Authority, you’ll receive an “https” URL. This is an indication that all private and sensitive information that is entered into the site is protected as it travels to a server. Without this, the user’s details have a high chance of being exposed. Additionally, Google and other search engines now give priority to websites with https, and may send visitors to a “Warning” page if you’re still only using http.

### 3. Privacy policy
Customers want to know how their data is being collected, used, and protected. A public, easy to find Privacy Policy can prove your company abides by the laws and care about keeping both your website and consumer information safe. 

### 4. Trust seal

Security Certificate on Zalora

Trust seal

Trust Seals give your visitors an extra sense of security. However, displaying too many badges across a website can cause some skepticism. Because of this, consider placing them only at the checkout. One study found a [42% increase](https://sleeknote.com/blog/trust-badges) in sales after implementing a Verisign trust seal. 

By implementing these indicators, not only can your visitors browse and shop worry-free, but you can also add some more points to the strength of your search rankings.

“Lack of trust is one of the top reasons customers abandon the checkout. A security badge can help reassure your visitors, but only if the source is recognizable,” says Oliver Sosinsky, Senior Solutions Engineer at Redstage.

Search engines like Google use an algorithm to promote a safer World Wide Web by giving certified sites priority in search results. Add in [great content](https://redstage.com/marketing/the-difference-between-good-great-content-marketing/), a [frictionless shopping experience](https://redstage.com/holiday/holiday-revenue-and-mobile-optimization/), and a [safe and secure website](https://redstage.com/holiday/3-tactics-hackers-will-use-against-ecommerce-store-security-this-holiday/), and watch your conversion rate skyrocket. 

As competition is increasing within the eCommerce industry, so are cyber-attacks, which create increasing levels of visitor anxiety. Studies show [77% of website visitors worry that their data could be stolen and misused](https://unbounce.com/landing-pages/can-ssl-trust-seals-and-other-security-indicators-improve-your-conversion-rates/). As a merchant, you should be showing your consumers that your company is highly invested in the safety and protection of their data. 

To ease the pressure, Trustpilot partner Redstage has designed customizable security and maintenance bundles to suit your needs. You can check them out [here](https://redstage.com/magento-security-maintenance-bundle/).

Read on for three more ways you can add trust to your website beyond security certificates. 

### 5. Payment gateway prominence

Payment option badges on Asos

payment gateway

What third-party software do you use for credit card payments?

Companies like Sage Pay and PayPal are reputable brands that consumers feel at ease with when sharing their bank details.

Make these logos clearly evident and prominent site wide, on the homepage and on the checkout to reduce consumer hesitation and cart abandonment. 

### 6. Verified customer reviews

reviews act as social proof to build trust

verified reviews

Over [92%](https://www.vendasta.com/blog/50-stats-you-need-to-know-about-online-reviews) of customers read online reviews as part of their buying journey. So if you’ve received some great customer feedback, shout about it! Customers rely on other customer’s honesty.

There are many ways to collate and present reviews and feedback on your website. [Trustpilot is a great example of a review platform](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/trustpilot-customer-review-software).

What if someone leaves a bad review? It shows you are real and genuine; you’re never going to make everyone happy. The odd three or four star review should be encouraged, otherwise it can look fake. We can’t win them all!

### 7. A clear delivery + returns policy

Delivery options

delivery and returns policy

A lack of information on delivery can cause hesitation. If you sell online, clearly show how it will be delivered to the customer, when they can expect to receive it, and at what cost.

Furthermore, there are situations whereby a customer will return something if they’re unhappy with the end product.

How do they go about doing this? What is the policy in terms of a refund? How long do they have to get a full refund?

These are the kind of questions customers will think about before they make a purchase and if they don’t know the answers to any of them beforehand, it will prevent them from converting.

## Getting started with trust signals

Obviously there’s much more you can do, but this is a good way to get started.

And, if you tick all the customer boxes, customers are bound to praise your business in their reviews.

The results: an [increase to your conversion rates](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/browsers-to-buyers/15-ecommerce-tips-to-drastically-increase-your-conversion-rate), bigger basket sizes, and happier customers.

If you'd like to learn more about the importance of trust signals in today's competitive landscape, download a free copy of our brand new Social Proof report below.

Get your free copy of 'The psychology behind trust signals'

7 Ways to improve your website’s trust signals

Why authentic voices can help retailers build loyalty

What can retailers do to generate trust and build lasting brand loyalty in a tough market? As we discuss, harnessing the power of user-generated content and authentic customer voices is one of the first key steps.

Not only do shoppers have more choice, but they’re less trusting of a brand's own advertising and marketing hype.

There are various ways you can attract and retain customers, but user-generated content is by far the most powerful (yet least utilised) tool. Read on to find out how retailers can use authentic voices to encourage brand loyalty and increase conversions.

Retailers rely on brand trust and customer loyalty to sell their products. However, both of these crucial elements have been in steady decline over recent years – a trend expedited by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to [figures from KPMG](https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2020/09/consumers-new-reality-declining-trust.html), global net trust has fallen to -4% compared with pre-pandemic levels, with grocery and non-grocery retailers among those most affected. But with [74% of UK consumers](https://londonlovesbusiness.com/three-quarters-of-uk-consumers-would-boycott-a-brand-they-dont-trust/) saying they would boycott a brand they didn’t trust, maintaining trust is essential if you want to secure repeat business.

It’s not just a lack of trust that’s hampering retailers’ efforts to retain customers. Thanks to the explosion in online shopping (another trend accelerated by the pandemic), there’s a wave of new online retailers vying for consumers’ attention. Shoppers are now spoilt for choice in an increasingly crowded online market. As a result, consumer loyalty is falling and retailers are having to work harder to attract and retain customers.

Even the big retailers can no longer rely solely on their name to keep savvy shoppers coming back. According to research by PWC, [32% of people](https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/library/consumer-intelligence-series/future-of-customer-experience.html) say they would stop shopping with a brand they loved after only one negative experience, highlighting just how fragile customer loyalty really is. In this day and age, second chances are far from certain.

The question is, what can retailers do to generate trust and build lasting brand loyalty in a tough market? As we discuss, harnessing the power of user-generated content and authentic customer voices is one of the first key steps.

## The power of user-generated content 

With trust in traditional advertising declining – particularly among [Generation Z](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/webinars-videos/learn-from-customers/creating-user-generated-content-what-gen-z-really-want) and [millennials](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/browsers-to-buyers/how-to-use-user-generated-content-marketing-to-reach-and-convert-millennials) – user-generated content is now the bedrock of modern marketing. 

The digital equivalent of word of mouth, user-generated content such as ratings and reviews brings the authenticity of someone impartial, and has become one of the main forms of [social proof](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/what-is-social-proof-and-why-is-it-important-for-marketing). It also tends to carry more weight than retailers’ own messaging, with [over three-quarters of people](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/your-guide-to-customer-advocacy-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important) saying they’re more likely to trust content shared by ‘normal’ people than content shared by brands.

“There is a big trend of UGC and [people trusting the opinions of other people more than those of companies](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/building-trust-in-the-home-and-garden-sector), which makes sense,” says Nosto’s Patrick Obolgogiani. “Younger generations, in particular, tend to like to see what their peers think about something – it is about social proof.”

With [64% of people](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/2749863/Report%20+%20Infographic%20-%20The%20Value%20of%20Customer%20Ratings%20and%20Reviews%20in%20Advertising/The%20Value%20of%20Customer%20Ratings%20and%20Reviews%20in%20UK%20Advertising.pdf) saying they’re ‘often’ or ‘very often’ influenced by consumer reviews when buying, the power of user-generated content is clear. Sharing opinions, experiences and recommendations online has become second nature. So it will come as no surprise that ratings and reviews are now a core part of any shopper’s online buying experience. These days, most retailers, no matter how big or small, display customer reviews on their website at key moments in the shopping journey. And with user reviews thought to influence over [£23 billion of UK consumer spending](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/436238/Online_reviews_and_endorsements.pdf) each year, it’s easy to see why.

## 5 Ways authentic voices can build trust and loyalty

Satisfied and [loyal customers contribute 2.6 times](https://www.ringcentral.com/us/en/blog/customer-satisfaction-everything-you-need-to-know/#:~:text=Increasing%20the%20customer's%20lifetime%20value,as%20a%20somewhat%20dissatisfied%20customer.) as much revenue as other customers, so anything you can do to build loyalty will always pay off. Using authentic voices to communicate your brand story is one of the best ways to attract prospective customers and retain existing ones. 

Want to know more? Here are five ways user-generated content like reviews and ratings can generate trust, nurture loyalty and, crucially, increase sales.

### 1. Customer reviews build trust and demonstrate transparency

Trust is one of the main factors that drives long-term customer loyalty. And that’s where reviews and ratings can play a vital role. Showcasing authentic customer feedback proves you’re credible and trustworthy, which can be very reassuring in an industry saturated with choice. 

Transparency is also a key motivator for customers, with [93% of people](https://f.hubspotusercontent10.net/hubfs/2749863/Brand%20integrity_%20the%20new%20frontier%20for%20marketing.pdf?utm_campaign=GH_BrandIntegrity_ENG_1021&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=176425144&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9azoeAZDuED58AZMK0e08HUhSLCfAVTo6sN0VgWl7wezoXmWJJ0r6xXzq8UXDHm5fuYNVZ_2jl8XyQ23098k6Q37Ik5Q&utm_content=176425144&utm_source=hs_automation) saying a brand’s honesty and transparency are important when buying products or services. Using a [third-party review platform like Trustpilot](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/trustpilot-customer-review-software) is a great way to demonstrate these traits as shoppers know you haven’t edited or falsified your customers’ feedback. There’s no better way of saying “we’ve got nothing to hide” than displaying customer feedback – both good and bad – for everyone to see.

### 2. Responding to reviews shows you value your customers

Taking the time to respond to reviews shows you value your customers and their business, which is vital if you want to build brand loyalty. If your customers know they’re buying from a company that cares, you’ll not only gain their trust but they’ll be more likely to recommend you to their peers.

Engaging with customers also shows the human side of your business, while personalising your response establishes an emotional connection that’s often missing from the online shopping experience. We might live in the digital age, but consumers don’t want their interactions with retailers to feel robotic or too corporate. According to Edelman’s 2020 Trust Barometer, [36% of those surveyed](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/440941/Trust%20Barometer%202020/2020%20Edelman%20Trust%20Barometer%20Global%20Report.pdf?utm_campaign=Global:%20Trust%20Barometer%202020&utm_source=Website) said they’d go elsewhere if a brand is inauthentic in its interactions. It proves that even today, personal relationships are still essential when it comes to generating loyalty.

### 3. Customer feedback can help you to improve the shopping experience

Reviews provide valuable insights that allow you to better understand your customers’ innermost wants, needs and expectations. You can then use this ‘feedback loop’ to improve your business operations and deliver a better overall customer experience, which is key to generating loyalty. 

It’s a strategy that’s worked well for Swift Direct Blinds. “Not so long ago we noticed that a number of customer reviews were commenting negatively on the quality of one particular fabric we were using in one of our blinds,” says the company’s Head of Marketing, Simon Weigh. “We flagged it up and the factory looked at it and noticed a minor problem, but it was an important thing to correct. We ended up changing fabric suppliers as a result of that insight.”

### 4. Reviews give you the chance to address complaints and fix mistakes

Unhappy customers are more likely to leave a review than satisfied customers, so it’s important to have a robust response strategy in place. Although negative reviews can be disheartening and sometimes frustrating, [they’re not necessarily a bad thing](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/learn-from-customers/bad-reviews-why-people-write-them-and-what-they-expect). 

For a start, they give you the chance to explain a situation fully if something does go wrong. As counterintuitive as it might seem, negative feedback can also reassure other potential buyers. Anyone viewing your product reviews can assess whether that particular issue is likely to affect them and, if they’re satisfied with your response, they may even feel confident enough to make a purchase. 

Of course, handing the microphone to your customers can be daunting. But by viewing consumer insights as an opportunity rather than a threat, your customer service will improve, and brand loyalty will naturally increase.

### 5. Product reviews can address shoppers’ wider queries

As the cost of living soars, cash-strapped shoppers are more cautious about their spending. If they do choose to purchase something, they want complete confidence that they’re buying the right item. Is it true to size? Will it fit in the boot of my car? Is it dishwasher safe? And that’s where reviews can help. Hesitant shoppers can scroll through a retailer’s reviews to find answers to questions beyond those addressed in the product description.

Being able to access this level of information reassures shoppers, meaning they’re more likely to part with their cash. It’s also a great way to notch up your trust rating and increase brand loyalty. After all, if a customer knows they can find all the information they need on your website, they won’t need to look anywhere else.

__The voice of the consumer is more powerful than ever. By fully embracing this change in dynamic, retailers can forge meaningful connections with customers and generate long-term brand loyalty.__

__For more information on how user-generated content can build brand loyalty, [read our beginner’s guide](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/a-beginner-guide-to-building-brand-loyalty-with-user-generated-content).__


How finance companies can harness the power of user-generated content to build loyalty

UGC is one of the best forms of marketing and the perfect way to build brand trust and loyalty. For financial services businesses, which depend heavily on consumer trust, leveraging the authentic voice of the customer is key to future growth and success.

Consumer trust and loyalty go hand in hand. After all, if consumers trust your brand, they’re more likely to purchase from you again. Building trust in the digital age can be difficult for any brand, but it’s particularly challenging for those in the finance industry. 

Unsurprisingly, trust in the sector plummeted after the 2008 financial crash – a low from which it has never fully recovered. Even now, consumers are [50% more likely to say](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/building-trust-in-financial-services) their level of trust in financial services providers has fallen over the last three years, while just [17% say they trust financial institutions in a time of crisis](https://www.ey.com/en_us/banking-capital-markets/four-ways-covid-19-is-reshaping-consumer-banking-behavior). Yet, trust is imperative if you expect customers to share potentially sensitive or confidential information with you. It even [ranks higher than price](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/trust-banking-industry/) (45% vs 43%) when it comes to choosing a bank.

At the same time, the fintech revolution and subsequent surge in digital finance companies means modern consumers have more choice than ever. As a result, consumer loyalty is falling and finance-related businesses are having to work harder to attract and retain customers.

So exactly how can finance brands cut through the noise and build trust and loyalty in an increasingly crowded marketplace? As many businesses are discovering, user-generated content is the magic bullet they’ve been looking for.

## Social proof and the power of the customer voice

Still plagued by scepticism of the finance industry, savvy consumers have lost trust in traditional advertising. Instead, they’re seeking social proof in the form of user-generated content such as unbiased customer reviews, ratings, testimonials and videos. In fact, [research shows that 76% of individuals](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/your-guide-to-customer-advocacy-what-is-it-and-why-is-it-important) admit they’re more likely to trust content shared by ‘normal’ people than content shared by brands.

The digital equivalent of word of mouth, consumer ratings and reviews are now one of the main drivers of trust. In a [Trustpilot survey](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/building-trust-in-financial-services), 61% of consumers said ratings and reviews were ‘very important’ or ‘important’ when choosing finance-related products and services. This is second only to a company’s own website (68%). At the other end of the scale, TV and online advertising were considered to be important sources of information by just 28% and 27% of people respectively.

It's no surprise then that finance companies are choosing to put third-party ratings and reviews at the heart of their marketing strategy. With 75% of people saying that positive consumer ratings would make them more likely to become a customer of a bank, the power of the consumer voice is clear.

But it’s not just new fintech brands that are capitalising on this potential. Even established finance providers are turning to review platforms to bolster consumer trust and loyalty. “The big brands are probably just waking up to the power of reviews, now that they tend to be used a lot more by challengers and disruptors to show the public how trustworthy they are,” says Neil Costello, Head of Marketing at Atom Bank.

“The trouble is, they may well have received far too many bad reviews in the past that are holding back their averages and they may be worried by more coming in, which they are not set up to deal with”.

## 4 Ways user-generated content can help finance brands build loyalty

It can cost around [five times as much](https://www.huify.com/blog/acquisition-vs-retention-customer-lifetime-value) to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing one. Therefore, anything you can do to encourage consumer loyalty will pay dividends in the long run.

Modern consumers might not be as loyal but that doesn’t mean you can’t retain their business – you just need to know how. A well-planned marketing strategy that utilises the authentic voice of the customer can attract and retain even the most sceptical consumers. Not convinced? Here are four ways user-generated content like reviews and ratings can help you to build trust, loyalty and, ultimately, increase sales.

### 1. Customer reviews prove you’re credible and trustworthy

Although the finance industry is heavily regulated by the FCA, prospective customers will still want reassurance that you’re a credible enterprise. After all, they’re trusting you with their finances so it’s only natural for them to be cautious. This is especially true if you’re an online-only business with no physical bricks-and-mortar presence. 

Showcasing real, honest customer reviews is a great way to alleviate consumers’ concerns and demonstrate you’re a legitimate business that can be trusted to handle their finances. It's one of the main reasons why Smart Currency Exchange feature ratings prominently on their website. The company helps people send money overseas and is often used by customers who are spending their nest egg on a dream property abroad.

“For people to know we’re highly rated is crucial when it comes to such an emotional purchase using their life savings,” says the company’s Digital Marketing Manager, Ricky Bean. “It’s why we have our Trustpilot score front and centre on our home page.”

### 2. User content shows you’ve got nothing to hide

Being open and transparent about your services and business operations is crucial if you want to build trust and earn customers’ loyalty. It’s a sentiment shared by many fintech companies, with [two-thirds (66%) of those surveyed by London Research and Trustpilot](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/the-importance-of-social-proof-in-fintech) strongly agreeing that a reputation for openness is crucial for their brand.

There’s no better way of transparently showing the public what other consumers think of you than proudly displaying authentic customer reviews and ratings across your marketing channels. It shows you’ve got nothing to hide and can help to quash any worries or doubts consumers might have. 

### 3. Responding to reviews shows you care

Taking the time to respond to reviews shows customers you care, which is crucial if you want to build loyalty and encourage repeat business. Engaging in client conversations is also a good way to establish a personal connection and show the human side of your business. Customers won’t be worried about loyalty if they view your company as a faceless corporation that’s only interested in the bottom line. 

Of course, how you respond to reviews is also key. In a [Trustpilot survey of over 1,000 consumers](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/learn-from-customers/bad-reviews-why-people-write-them-and-what-they-expect), 25% of people said how well companies respond to criticism can help to transition them from detractors to customer advocates. It goes to show that even negative reviews (when handled in the right way) can turn an unhappy customer into a long-term client.

### 4. You can use reviews to improve the customer experience

Not all reviews and ratings will be positive, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Negative reviews not only show the positive ones are genuine, but they can also give you valuable insight into your customers’ experiences. You can then use this feedback to identify areas for improvement, rectify problems and provide a better overall service.

It's understandable to be nervous about potentially showcasing negative feedback to the world. But by viewing consumer insights as an opportunity rather than a threat, your customer service will improve and you’ll soon see brand loyalty increase.


__These are just some of the ways user-generated content can help finance businesses build brand trust and loyalty. If you’d like more information and advice, read our guide – [Building trust in financial services](https://business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/building-trust-in-financial-services).__

the importance of an open review platform

Finding the right review software isn’t easy. But we’re here to show you what to look for in a customer review software. Depending on your company challenges, Trustpilot might be the right one for you. Not sure what to look for? We got you covered.

A recent survey found that 44% of consumers looking to buy a product or service [go to user-generated sites such as Trustpilot](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/brand-integrity-the-new-frontier-for-marketing) when evaluating the ethical stance of a brand. 

Depending on your company challenges, Trustpilot could be the right one for you. Not sure what to look for? 

We've got you covered.

## What to look for in a customer review platform

Various kinds of customer review platforms have different benefits, pros, and cons. Before you start your search for the right review solution for your company, you need to ask yourself what your company needs are first.

### Why do you need a customer review software?

At Trustpilot, we’ve helped companies collect and manage their reviews for a multitude of reasons and we always find a way to solve their problems. Some of the most common challenges we’ve come across include companies wanting:

- To improve (or build) their brand's reputation
- A way to obtain customer feedback
- To engage with customers directly
- A way to improve their business in a customer-centric way
- To improve their SEO, marketing, conversion, or sales
- A way to improve their brand perception
- To leverage user-generated content in their marketing

If you’re the kind of company that wants to improve your marketing, connect with customers, build a reputation, and better your business, then it’s time to look for a review platform.

## Important qualities to look for

Once you’ve figured out how a customer review software will help your business, you’re ready to shop around. Here are some important questions to ask:

### 1. Is the platform a Google Review partner? 

If not, then you can’t get [Google Seller Ratings](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/get-seen-in-search/why-wont-my-google-seller-ratings-show-up-and-4-other-gsr-questions), those yellow stars that show up on your AdWord campaigns.

Google Seller Ratings show up on Arc'teryx's Google Ads

search results page showing yellow stars on adword results

Arc'teryx Google Seller Ratings examples

Google Seller Ratings

These Google Seller Ratings can increase click-through-rates on ads by up to 10%, on average. Without them, you’re missing out on valuable traffic and potential sales.

### 2. Does the company offer an open platform for reviews? 

Companies with open platforms allow __any__ customer to leave a review for __any__ company. Review companies with closed platforms only allow customers to leave a review when invited. There are two issues with this:

- A closed platform offers transparency issues and won’t give customers an accurate picture of a company’s reputation. So, if you’re having reputation and trust issues, a closed platform won’t help.
- With a closed platform, consumers won’t be able to find you or your reviews as they research your company and your products. An open platform increases your discoverability.

### 3. How easy is it to collect reviews?

Collecting reviews can be an arduous task. If the review solution you have an eye on doesn’t make it any easier, move on. 

The right software should allow you to automate the review collection process and the collection method should fit within your existing business process.

### 4. Does the software allow you to display your reviews on multiple channels?

What’s the point of collecting reviews and getting a great reputation if you can’t tell the world? 

The right customer review software should let you easily display your reviews on social media, your website, your emails, and even on your offline marketing.

### 5. What integrations does the software provide?

The right customer review software should make your job easier, not harder. 
Find the software that hooks up with your eCommerce platforms, your preferred social media sites, and more.

### 6. Can you respond to your reviews?

Did you know that [44.2% of consumer](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/guides-reports/build-trusted-brand/brand-integrity-the-new-frontier-for-marketing) say that a brand ignoring customer feedback would make them less likely to buy a product or service?

Having the opportunity to [respond to your customers](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/learn-from-customers/dos-and-donts-best-practices-for-responding-to-reviews) in real time provides major advantages for your company. You’ll be able to resolve any potential customer issues as soon as they occur. And by engaging with your customers publicly, other shoppers who are doing their research will see that you’re committed to your customers, giving you a leg up on the competition.

## Why Trustpilot could be the right review platform for you

President, The Pearl Source

Let’s make your search easy. Trustpilot might be the customer review software you’re looking for. Here are just some of our benefits:

- We’re a licensed Google Review Partner
- We’re an open review platform with over 144 million written reviews of 626,000+ websites
- We have various methods of review collection processes, allowing you to automate review emails and reminders in a way that fits your business.
- Our TrustBox widgets come in a variety of sizes and options (and are customizable) for you to easily display on all your digital marketing channels - no coding necessary!
- Our software gives you the freedom to respond to reviews, easily display reviews on all social media platforms, and has integrations with all the major eCommerce platforms.

If you want to learn more about Trustpilot, our integrations, and what we can do for your reputation, your marketing, and your company, just request a demo below. 

We’ll get back to you as soon as we can to show you why Trustpilot is the right customer review software for you.


Why Trustpilot could be the right review platform for your business

visual-marketing-reviews-image-generator

In this article, we’ve gathered the most up-to date data to help you define the right social media strategy for your company and increase your business’s customer engagement in the long run. 

Images are analysed and processed [60,000 faster than text](https://www.emailaudience.com/research-picture-worth-1000-words-marketing/), making it easier for the human brain to recognise a familiar subject in a picture. By comparison, It takes the brain longer to process a sentence and understand what subject it’s covering.

Today, pictures and videos bring more traffic to websites than written content. In this environment where visual content is dominating the share of attention, it’s necessary for businesses to adapt their strategy to ensure they're engaging with their audience visually.

In this article, we’ve gathered the most up-to date data to help you define the right social media strategy for your company and increase your business’s customer engagement. We’ll also cover social media best practices, complete with image guidelines. 

## Why visual content marketing is taking over

As most social media experts envisioned a couple of years ago, social media is changing, and visual content is growing considerably. In fact, MDG Advertising found that content paired with an image attracted [94% more views](https://www.mdgadvertising.com/marketing-insights/infographics/its-all-about-the-images-infographic/) on average than content without any visuals.

While blogging remains one of the most popular way to share information online, visual marketing is taking over and [49% of marketers now rate it as 'Very Important'](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/visual-content-marketing-strategy) to their marketing strategy.

The rise of apps like TikTok and Instagram have led to other social platforms evolving and establishing more visual-friendly platforms. So, as visual content marketing continues to evolve, [60% of consumers](https://solve.co.uk/seo-tips/importance-of-images-in-marketing/) consider themselves more likely to contact a company when their local search results includes an image.

## Social channels by the numbers

Twitter has been constantly evolving for the past couple of years. With the ability to add visuals without taking up the 140 character limit, people are now sharing more pictures, tagging friends, taking screenshots of funny conversations, and commenting on photos. With a 140 characters limit, it can sometimes be difficult to convey a message. But with images, users have more flexibility in their clarity of messaging. Today, tweets with images receive [94% more retweets](https://www.digitalwebsolutions.com/the-art-of-using-images-on-twitter-how-to-get-retweeted-like-crazy/).

Airbnb Twitter post

Whether you’re a Twitter user or not, it’s hard to deny that visual content is the easiest way to captivate your audience’s attention.

In fact, Instagram and TikTok are proof that visual content is truly taking over. 

TikTok users spend more than 850 minutes per month on the app, and there are [167 Million TikTok videos watched every minute](https://influencermarketinghub.com/tiktok-stats/).

Instagram is the [second most-downloaded app](https://www.hootsuite.com/pages/digital-trends-2021) in the world after TikTok, and the 7th most visited website, with [2.9 billion total visits per month](https://blog.hootsuite.com/instagram-statistics/).

Visual content can be more successful than any other form of communication. Including it in your social strategy is no longer an option, it’s a necessity. If you’re looking to attract more customers via social media platforms, here are some best practices and size guides for long-term social media success.

### 1. Image sizes

Looking to include more images in your marketing? Worried you might not know enough about visual content?

Worry no more!

We’ve put together some image size guidelines to help you nail your social media strategy on every single platform.

Trustpilot image size guide

### 2. User-generated content

Did you know that [51% of consumers check social media](https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-consumer-behavior/) to evaluate a product or service before buying?

User-generated content (UGC) can help encourage consumers to learn more about your business, your products and your service, and understand how your customers feel about you in a trusted way.

For example, instead of stock photos, choose authentic pictures like photos of your customers using your own products. [GoPro](https://www.instagram.com/gopro/)'s social media channels are a great example in this case.

Using user-generated content as part of your social media strategy can significantly improve consumer engagement and conversion rate. 

### 3. Reviews


At Trustpilot, we understand how important it is for customers to interact with businesses on social channels during the different stages of the buying journey. But we also know that online reviews could also help you attract more customers via social platforms. 

Sharing online reviews on social media can help your content stay personal and up to date, while helping you stand out from the competition and grow your online reputation.

Reviews on Instagram

Quote from Formula Botanica

Director of Formula Botanica

Want to learn how you can take advantage of visual content and reviews in your social media marketing? Request a free demo below, and we'll show you how Trustpilot can help your business today.

Your complete guide to social media visual content

brand loyalty and user generated content

Consumers are empowered like never before, and shoppers will look at more than just price when making a purchase decision. There are many components that a business can focus on to stand out from the competition. 

Delivering a great customer experience, both offline and online, is one of them. Indeed, brands offering ‘[shopping experiences](https://www.inc.com/larry-alton/how-to-create-brand-loyalty-through-customer-experience.html)’ to their customers are more likely to build loyalty in the long run.

So why is customer loyalty so important, and what can a business do to get closer to its customers?

Keep on reading...

## 1. Strong brand loyalty is more important than ever

The definition of brand loyalty is the emotionally-charged decision of a consumer to purchase from a particular brand again and again. The consumer has the perception that the particular brand has the qualities that meets their needs and expectations, and identifies with the consumer on a personal level.

Brand loyalty helps build strong customer relationships, which serves as a great tool to stand out from the competition, and acquire new customers in the long run. 

Did you know that acquiring a new customer costs [7 times more](https://kapost.com/b/customer-acquisition-versus-customer-retention/) than maintaining an existing one?

Investing in your existing customers will pay off, and it’s only a matter of time until you see positive results. Today, satisfied and loyal customers contribute [2.6 times](https://www.customerservicemanager.com/how-to-conduct-business-to-business-customer-satisfaction-surveys/) as much revenue as other customers, and 14 times as much revenue as dissatisfied customers.

There are different ways brand loyalty can be achieved, but using user-generated content to tell your brand story is one of the best ways to boost loyalty, and improve customer satisfaction.

## 2. User-generated content is essential to drive  brand loyalty and customer satisfaction

User-generated content (UGC) is defined as any type of content that has been created and put out there by customers.  It can refer to pictures, videos, testimonials, tweets, blog posts, reviews, [and much more](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/build-trusted-brand/4-great-examples-of-user-generated-content)…

Modern consumers have lost trust in traditional advertising. In fact, [84%](https://www.clickz.com/84-percent-of-millennials-dont-trust-traditional-advertising/27030/) of consumers do not trust adverts anymore, and [87%](https://uk.business.trustpilot.com/reviews/why-87-of-consumers-find-ads-more-trustworthy-with-trustpilot) of consumers admitted finding ads more trustworthy with Trustpilot. Recent research also shows that UGC is considered to be [50%](https://www.adweek.com/digital/millennials-trust-user-generated-content-50-traditional-media-infographic/) more trustworthy than traditional marketing. 

User-generated content helps consumers make decisions, buy a product, or subscribe to a service they will most-likely enjoy based on the wisdom of the crowd.

Customer advocates, or people posting about your business, are more than just brand ambassadors. They are loyal customers. They are the lifeblood of your business. Unlike influencers, customers advocates are your everyday customers, who are much more relatable, and much more likely to bring you more, loyal, customers.

When [76%](https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/infographic-how-millennials-and-baby-boomers-consume-user-generated-content-175307/) of individuals admit that they’re more likely to trust content shared by “normal” people than content shared by brands, it becomes clear that refusing to adopt a UGC strategy can lead to a risk of stagnation. In fact, UGC has been shown to increase marketing effectiveness by as much as [54%](https://www.socialtoaster.com/advocacy-marketing-statistics/).

No wonder brands like Daniel Wellington, Lululemon, MZ Wallace, Sweaty Betty, Monday Swimwear, and many more, have all adopted UGC - and rely on it on a daily basis.

It can be tricky to figure out which type of user-generated content is best for your business. One of the best types of UGC out there is online reviews. While many types of user-generated content may be generational, or not accessible to everyone, reviews have become visible throughout the entire marketing funnel, from organic social posts, to display campaigns, all the way down to the product page itself. 

Because of this extreme versatility, online reviews are one of the best marketing tools out there, and essential to any company’s success.

## 3. How your review strategy can work together with UGC for a better customer experience

Today, [92%](https://www.vendasta.com/blog/50-stats-you-need-to-know-about-online-reviews) of consumers read reviews, and 80% of shoppers trust reviews as much as personal recommendations.

Online reviews have become an essential tool for eCommerce businesses looking to beat the competition and increase customer confidence at different stages of the buying journey.

Third-party review platforms  are more recognised and trusted by consumers because reviews can not be edited or deleted by businesses, making every single review on there completely authentic, credible, and therefore, more reliable.

Reviews also give you a direct line to your customers, and listening to them empowers you to learn what they want, deliver it to them, and ultimately, increase customer loyalty and [improve customer experience](https://business.trustpilot.com/reviews/learn-from-customers/5-reasons-why-customer-experience-is-the-pulse-of-every-business).

Understanding your consumers’ needs and wants is essential to ensure your company is future-proof, and collecting consumer insights through online reviews is a great way to identify areas of development, and work towards creating a better shopping experience for your future, existing, and loyal customers.


There’s no doubt that user-generated content, brand loyalty, and customer experience all work together. 

Find out how a review strategy can help you build brand loyalty, download a free copy of our Complete Guide to Reviews below.

Download the complete guide to customer reviews

Build a Trusted Brand

Trustworthy reviews: How do competing platforms stack up?

6 Ways to successfully use brand purpose

Why some brands shun purpose and honesty

The 5 barriers to adopting brand purpose + why you shouldn't let them stand in your way

How to keep your brand's purpose on track

What does purpose achieve?

7 Ways to improve your website’s trust signals

Why authentic voices can help retailers build loyalty

How finance companies can harness the power of user-generated content to build loyalty

Why Trustpilot could be the right review platform for your business

Your complete guide to social media visual content

A beginner’s guide to building brand loyalty with user-generated content