People—lots of them—are eating Tide Laundry Pods. On purpose. There. I said it out loud. I was almost too embarrassed to write this post, except that every word is true. In fact, there were 12,000 Poison Control calls for people ingesting laundry pods in 2017. The stunt is one of many dangerous social media challenges …
Tide Pods, Dangerous Social Media Challenges & Amazon’s Responsibility Read More »
Who are your competitors in 2018? I’ll start with a quick story that isn’t too much of a digression. I have an avocado waste problem. I love to eat them for lunch, but just one half at a time. I’ve tried every which way to wrap the other half in plastic and save it for …
From Amazon Basics to Cat & Jack: In a Brand Agnostic World, Who Are Your Competitors? Read More »
Is it a good idea to respond to negative product reviews? The answer depends on many factors. Before deciding on a company policy around review responses, you first have to determine which of your e-commerce partner sites allow comments. Amazon allows comments, and even has an “official comments” pilot program for brands and manufacturers. Sites such as Best Buy, Home …
10 Mistakes to Avoid when Responding to Negative Product Reviews Read More »
We got incredible feedback from last month’s article about retail stores closing. Our list of 20 retailers shuttering doors en masse might be just the tip of the iceberg. We have an inkling we’ll be seeing headlines about closures for years to come. Although it’s important to remember that e-commerce makes up just 7.7%1 of all retail sales, …
Since the dawn of the Internet, people have been trying to be something they’re not. This cartoon from 1993 has always been one of my favorites, as it highlights the anonymity the Internet can provide. With just a computer and an Internet connection, you can be anybody. Unfortunately, brands are no exception when it comes to …
The Trolls have been out in full force recently, and we aren’t referring to the movie which capitalizes on nostalgia from my childhood. No, we’re talking about the Amazon Review Trolls. They come in all shapes and sizes: funny, sarcastic, sad, shocking. You name it. But now product reviews are the newest outlet for political statements, activist messages, …
Amazon is (Mostly) Doing a Good Job of Removing Review Trolls Read More »
In today’s Wall Street Journal there is a good article on the new emphasis retailers like Amazon, Zappos, Etsy and Garnett Hill are placing on the power of product reviews. It’s because of new statistics from a Deloitte 2016 Holiday Online Poll: 66% of consumers read product reviews on websites 51% plan to use reviews online when …
WSJ: Both Online & Offline Shoppers Read Reviews Online Read More »
When You Only Measure Product Reviews on Your Own Website, You’re Only Getting the Tip of the Iceberg We all know the old iceberg metaphor. But how does it relate to measuring customer satisfaction with product reviews? One of the most actionable and influential metrics a brand can use to measure satisfaction is product reviews. But a …
Aggregate & Analyze 100% of Your Product Reviews, From Anywhere Read More »
Oftentimes, the first review we see isn’t the most recent review, but the most “helpful.” To some it may seem the most recent review is the most helpful, but Amazon and other websites have used algorithms to determine which reviews will help the customer make a decision to buy. At Channel Signal, we make it our …
As a 240 year old company, you can imagine Birkenstock has had to overcome a gamut of issues in its lifetime. In today’s changing face of global e-commerce, Birkenstock has been presented with a new challenge for the ages. To stay relevant with sites like Alibaba and Rakuten, Amazon is now allowing Chinese manufacturers to sell directly …
Birkenstock Leaves Amazon & Early Signs of Counterfeit Products Read More »
