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Bazaarvoice serves its 100 billionth piece of user-generated content

~ Digital word of mouth delivers measurable ROI and powers organisational transformation ~

March 04, 2010

Bazaarvoice has served more than 100 billion impressions of user-generated Reviews, Answers, and Stories since its launch.

With 80 per cent of consumers now seeking user-generated review content to guide purchases, this new milestone represents a transformation in shopping behaviour and underlines the power of digital word of mouth as a form of advertising. The 100 billionth impression comes as the social commerce expert prepares to celebrate its fifth anniversary with more than 750 clients operating in 25 languages and 36 countries.

To mark the occasion, Bazaarvoice has highlighted three significant landmarks in the company’s growth over the last five years:

1.   Driving organisational change – Bazaarvoice has amassed more than 40 customer case studies highlighting how user-generated content can be used to effectively increase sales, improve SEO, increase customer loyalty, and satisfaction.

One example of this is DIY giant B&Q, which analyses user feedback and works with manufacturers to continually improve products based on customers’ comments. Outdoor equipment and clothing retailer Orvis is also harnessing this approach through its Voice of the Customer team, which continually analyses both positive and negative customer feedback to dramatically improve the customer experience.

2.   Innovation in channel marketing – In 2009 Bazaarvoice debuted MobileVoice™, which enables users to access the voice of the customer via their phone while shopping in-store. Additional developments have seen the introduction of the BrandAnswers and BrandVoice solutions, which raise the bar on social commerce by allowing manufacturers to impact and join customer conversations on the world’s largest retail sites.

3.   Social network integration and social recommendations – In summer 2009, Bazaarvoice launched Social Recommendations for the Stories product. This enables brands to evolve word of mouth by allowing consumers to post narratives about their product and brand experience. With Social Recommendations, consumers can now link a company’s product to their shared experience, inspiring new purchases, and helping shoppers easily discover new products.

Executive quote

“Recent years have seen many of the conversations traditionally held in person increasingly digitised online to the point where they now widely influence purchase decisions,” said Andy Leaver, international vice president at Bazaarvoice. “Reaching 100 billion impressions illustrates that brands appreciate this and are rewriting their textbooks on marketing and merchandising to utilise the business benefits that user-generated content brings.”

“As the explosion in social media continues over the next five years we’re confident that our continual innovation will see us support a growing client roster as well as give something back to the communities and charitable causes around us.”

About the company

Bazaarvoice (www.bazaarvoice.com) is a social commerce technology company. Its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions have served more than 95 billion pieces of customer-generated content helping over 750 brands globally to harness and amplify customer online word of mouth. In the UK, clients include Argos, Boots, Halfords, Wickes, Thomas Cook, QVC and Boden.

Bazaarvoice’s products - Ratings & Reviews, Ask & Answer™ and Stories™ - are social commerce applications that drive sales. They enable customers to review products, ask and answer questions and share stories online; enhancing the online shopping experience and allowing them to make more informed and rewarding purchase decisions. Benefits for the retailer include content ownership, seamless customisation, increased search engine optimisation impact, advanced analytics and syndication across the web. Retailers can also leverage the content generated across on and offline marketing channels.

Founded in 2005, Bazaarvoice has offices in the UK, US, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Singapore, and Australia. The company was named in 2007’s Red Herring Global 100 and received the Technology Vendor of the Year award from Retail Systems in 2009.

For more information and access to client success stories, visit http://www.bazaarvoice.com, read the blog at http://www.bazaarblog.com/, and follow on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/bazaarvoice.

Contact details

For further press information and photography please contact:
Patrick Hussey at LEWIS, the PR agency
Tel: +44 (0) 161 457 2056
Fax: +44 (0) 161 601 7741
Email: bazaarvoiceUK@lewispr.com
Website: www.lewispr.com

Supporting materials

The “hidden” impact of 100 billion: the new textbook | http://bit.ly/clzRKE (CEO)

One Hundred Billion. That’s a big number, even for Congress | http://bit.ly/9V7P4R

10 Reasons Why 100 Billion Impressions Matter To You | http://bit.ly/cI2Rtu (CMO)

A behind the scenes look at hosting 100 billion impressions | http://bit.ly/cUfXas (CTO)

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