BALTIMORE, MD – September 2, 2010 – Most marketers believe that astroturfing of online reviews occurs, that the practice is wrong, and may stop buying from a brand if they learned that the brand was doing it, according to a recent survey by R2integrated (R2i), a leading Internet marketing and technology company.
Astroturfing is a social media, marketing, or public relations campaign that is formally planned by an organization or agency, but is disguised as spontaneous grassroots behavior. In other words, sometimes reviews expressed within online communities are coming not from legitimate, sharing consumers, but rather from hired posters.
When R2i asked 284 marketing professionals from several leading industries about their attitudes toward astroturfing, more than 35 percent thought it “highly unethical,” and more than 42 percent thought it “unprofessional.” Nearly 85 percent of respondents agree that the proliferation of social media has increased the practice of astroturfing, and more than 87 percent of respondents believe that companies plant reviews.
In terms of buying behavior, 49 percent of respondents indicated that online reviews influenced their purchasing decisions “most or all of the time.” Nearly the same percentage indicated “sometimes.” When asked if they would stop buying from a brand if they found that the brand had planted reviews, nine percent checked “yes,” 63 percent indicated “maybe, it depends,” while 28 percent checked “not if I liked their products.”
“It seems clear that online peer-to-peer recommendations play an important role in the buying decisions of marketers as consumers, and that they are sensitive about the authenticity of reviews,” said Matt Goddard, CEO, R2i. “Because fraudulent reviews can greatly impact buying behavior, brands have to be completely honest and transparent with their information sharing, and keep a close eye on their social media, marketing, and PR outsourcing if they intend to retain customer trust or attract new customers.”
According to R2i data, the least trusted reviews are those posted on a brand’s site. Reviews from a friend or from a traditional publisher such as Consumer Reports are trusted the most. Fifteen percent of respondents said “yes, without question” that they knew of a person or company that has participated in or orchestrated astroturfing on the Web. Twenty-two percent said they “thought so, but couldn’t prove it” while 31 percent said “maybe.”
“The fact the most people are influenced by online reviews suggests that one of the greatest advantages of online peer-to-peer networks—the power they give people to research decisions and obtain advice—can also be one of their greatest disadvantages because people can be easily deceived and misled,” said Goddard. “Brands and consumers share the onus of making sure that online recommendations—regardless of their sentiment or tone—are legitimate.”
R2i conducted this survey from July 26 to August 4.