The document discusses how user-generated content (UGC) like ratings and reviews can help build brands. Technology-empowered consumers trust other consumers' opinions more than brand messages. While UGC is rising, many brands do not measure its impact. The YETI Coolers story is presented, showing how ratings and reviews on sites helped grow the brand through word-of-mouth. Recommendations include using tools to curate UGC, collecting data to benchmark quality, integrating UGC in marketing, and turning insights into actions.

1. How The Social Consumer
Helps Build Your Brand
November 20, 2014

2. 2
Today’s speakers
Amy Hayes
VP of Global Brand
Bazaarvoice
Tracy Stokes
Principal Analyst
Forrester
Sara Kenton
Director of e-Commerce
YETI Coolers
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

3. 3
Agenda
• Technology-empowered consumers take control
• User-generated content is a rising but immature
discipline
• How user-generated content can build your brand
• The YETI Coolers story
• Recommendations
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

4. 64%
54%
Technology-empowered consumers
have taken control
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

5. … they are perpetually connected
52%
Source: “Build Your Content Brand By Delivering Customer Value” Forrester report
US online adults
have an average of
3
connected devices
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited 5

6. And constantly distracted
58%
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

7. Customers now choose how they connect with
brands
Attention abundance
Information scarcity
Information overload
Attention fatigue
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

8. 8
Agenda
• Technology-empowered consumers take control
• User-generated content is a rising but immature
discipline
• How user-generated content can build your brand
• The YETI Coolers story
• Recommendations
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

9. UGC is a critical marketing tool during the
early stages of the Customer Life Cycle
Especially for new
product launches
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

10. Ratings and reviews are a highly influential
form of UGC
For marketers And consumers
“Ratings and reviews [are
most important]. Consumers
are used to the fact that
popular products have a lot
of ratings & reviews online. It
looks fishy if you don’t have
them.”
– Brand Manager, CPG
Company
76%
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

11. But lack of measurement limits UGC potential
› Count UGC likes instead of
measuring business or brand
“Our barriers are strategy,
impact
time, and importance.
[UGC] is not viewed as
important enough
› Find UGC difficult to measure
therefore there are no
goals.”
› Lack proof of performance
Global Digital Marketing
needed to propel investment
Manager, Automotive Company
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

12. Agenda
• Technology-empowered consumers take control
• User-generated content is a rising but immature
discipline
• How user-generated content can build your brand
• The YETI Coolers story
• Recommendations
12
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

13. Trust drives brand resonance
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

14. Consumers trust content from other
consumers more than from brands
“To what extent do you trust each of the following types of advertising/promotion?”
(4 or 5 on a scale of 1 [do not trust] to 5 [trust completely])
11%
9%
17%
36%
40%
14%
19%
27%
48%
55%
Professionally written online reviews
Consumer-written online reviews
Brand sponsored content
Posts by companies or brands on social
networking sites
Ads on websites (e.g. banners)
US EU
Base: 58,583 US Online Adults 18+ Online Weekly or More; 16,538
European Online Adults 16+ Online Weekly or More (France, Germany, GB, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden)
Source: North American Consumer Technographics Online Benchmark Survey (Part 1), 2014; European Consumer Technographics
Online Benchmark Survey, 2014
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

15. Brand responses improve perception
15
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

16. Leverage UGC To Build Your Brand
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

17. UGC must be authentic to build credibility
Share UGC that goes beyond
product features & benefits
“We track pictures and recipes.
We asked people to send
pictures of their chicken meals
and it has become an
encyclopedia of chicken.”
–Digital Media Manager, CPG
Company
Be transparent in the
source of your UGC
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

18. UGC Must Be Measured To Build Maturity
Set goals around quality and
engagement
Set up controlled tests to
measure business impact
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited 18

19. UGC’s Impact on Marketing Effectiveness
19
Health and beauty
brand saw 2x click-through-
rate when
creative advertising
included UGC
Traditional
Advertising
Advertising
with UGC
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

20. Agenda
• Technology-empowered consumers take control
• User-generated content is a rising but immature
discipline
• How user-generated content can build your brand
• The YETI Coolers story
• Recommendations
20
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

21. The YETI Story
• Founded in 2006 in
Driftwood, TX
• Simple Mission: Build a
cooler that wouldn't break
• Reached $100 million
mark in 2013
• Primary users today are
hunters and anglers
• Word of mouth has been
critical to our success
21
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

22. A look back.
22
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

23. Ratings & Reviews
23
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

24. Ratings & Reviews
24
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

25. Ratings & Reviews
25
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

26. Ratings & Reviews
26
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

27. Ratings & Reviews > Gaining Insight
★★★★★ NO OUTSIDE CONDENSATION IS AWESOME. - Ezzie"
I am totally in love with my Rambler. It is by far the best Tumbler I have ever owned. It hold ice indoors for hours. I also
love the fact that no rings from condensation are ever a problem. I would and have recommended this item as a gift to
all of my friends. If I were wealthy they would all get 1 from me. Thanks Yeti for making my life & my hunting a better
experience. I did not even mention FOOTBALL season. I think my Clemson Tigers will be a better team because I will
be using my Rambler at the Tailgate..... Go Tigers."
27
Wonderment, awe, surprise, astonishment,
bewilderment, admiration, incredulous, startling,
staggering, mindboggling,
IRRATIONAL AMAZEMENT
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

28. Social Curations Help Answer Key Questions
28
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

29. Building a Community > A Central Hub
29
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

30. Building a Community > A Central Hub
30
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

31. Agenda
• Technology-empowered consumers take control
• User-generated content is a rising but immature
discipline
• How user-generated content can build your brand
• The YETI Cooler’s story
• Recommendations
31
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.

32. Recommendations
› Employ tools and platforms that curate and
verify
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

33. Recommendations
› Collect data to build up internal
benchmarks for good, better and best
UGC
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

34. Recommendations
› Integrate UGC into your brand
measurement tracker
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

35. Recommendations
› Incorporate UGC into other
marketing communications
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

36. Recommendations
› Turn UGC into insights and
action
© 2014 Forrester Research, Inc. Reproduction Prohibited

37. Thanks! Questions?
Amy Hayes
VP of Global Brand
Bazaarvoice
amy.hayes@bazaarvoice.com
37
Tracy Stokes
Principal Analyst
Forrester
tstokes@forrester.com
Sara Kenton
Director of e-Commerce
YETI Coolers
skenton@yeticoolers.com
A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Bazaarvoice.
Confidential and Proprietary. © 2014 Bazaarvoice, Inc. and Forrester Research Inc.