LG ensures product launch success with Bazaarvoice Sampling

LG UK supports product launches by pre-populating retail product pages with reviews before releasing the products in stores

When LG UK launched its LG Styler, an innovative closet system that sanitizes clothes and keeps them fresh, the brand needed to give consumers the confidence to buy the new high-end product line.

“When launching into a new category, it is vital that there is trusted validation of the product in the eyes of the consumer,’ said David Hall, Head of Digital at LG. “Customer reviews are great way to do this, as they are an open and honest assessment from real users about their experience with the product. When it is also a new product or concept for the market, the firsthand reviews are even more important to educate the customer on what it is like to have the LG Styler in their home.”

Knowing that authentic content from consumers plays a vital role in driving trial, especially among high-end items like large appliances, LG turned to Bazaarvoice Sampling to get the new products into the hands of consumers and collect user-generated content (UGC). This allowed LG to infuse its product pages on key retail sites with reviews before the appliances became available for purchase in physical stores.

A few reviews make a big difference

Shoppers can be hesitant to buy niche, expensive products without first reading reviews. That’s why even just a couple of reviews can be so impactful in driving sales.

“With a totally new product in the market, even one or two reviews provides that ‘genuine’ feedback for potential customers. It shows them what the product is really like and what it can bring to their home—and from an independent source that is not just reading of the spec sheet or information provided by LG,” said Hall.

LG sent the Styler to highly-targeted members of the Bazaarvoice sampling community, and 100% of those who received the appliance submitted a review. The 10 reviews collected featured an average overall rating of 4.9 stars.

With a non-ecommerce site, LG’s goal was to ultimately increase purchases at retailers like John Lewis. Currently, a majority of the reviews featured on the John Lewis site are a result of the sampling campaigns and syndication. Across LG UK’s entire range of products, syndication accounts for 50% of its reviews at UK retailers. In other words, half of their products wouldn’t have any reviews if the brand wasn’t actively driving reviews.

Sampling drives high quality content

The quality of reviews can be just as important as volume among high-consideration products. The reviews submitted as part of the Bazaarvoice Sampling program featured a high level of detail, as every reviewer took the time to provide feedback on each aspect of the product—from the efficiency and ease of use, to the design and noise level. In fact, the reviews averaged more than 1,400 characters.

A majority of the reviews also included photos of the Styler in the recipients’ homes.

“It really helps to have visual UGC with the reviews. Pictures and videos from consumers with the product in use really cements the authentic nature of the reviews. It helps potential customers to visualise in a ‘real’ home rather than just having the highly polished product and lifestyle images from LG,” said Hall.

High-quality reviews also arm LG with more meaningful insights. For example, one review mentioned that the perfume sheets that can be added provide a nice smell to the clothes, but they couldn’t easily find where to buy refills on LG’s site. Additionally, the lead/cord wasn’t very long, making it difficult to plug in.

This type of information is key to LG’s meaningful adjustments to product descriptions and creating cross-sell opportunities.