I've always been bothered by reviews that I read that were not organically inspired by the writer's natural desire to share information (without reward). I have Amazon Prime so we shop there all the time. I often look to the reviews before hitting that "buy now with 1 click" button. I completely disregard anything written before the product was available to the public or even by someone who got the product free. I just do... it means much more to me as a reader when a review was written by someone who just liked the product and decided to tell the world about it. I feel the same about movie reviews. When a fellow mom tells me that a movie is safe for my kids to watch, then I'm more likely to take my kids to that movie. I certainly wouldn't give much weight to her words if I knew she was getting paid to tell people to see that movie. I'm also not as likely to make the same decision because the entertainment guy on the news recommends it as a "family" movie the day before it hits the theatres.
I've been working on this post for a week now. I started writing down my thoughts on this topic after The Consumerist was kind enough to post a positive review of our customer service (http://consumerist.com/5312214/cotton-babies-stands-behind-the-cloth-diapers-they-sell). I read that article and then realized that my customers don't know how much I value the good, un-asked-for reviews from real customers that we see come across our Google Alerts every single day.
I’ve been selling products in this category long enough to see many companies forcibly generate buzz about their new item. They write their own reviews, their "testers" are asked to write reviews, their retailers write reviews, then customers are asked to write reviews in exchange for coupon codes. I've also recently seen bloggers proactively trolled with free product as long as they agreed to mention the product on their blog.
Sometimes review-driven sites will rank products based on the number and quality of reviews that a product gets. A manufacturer understandably wants their product on that list, and then wants to see their product rise to the top of that list. Right now, bumGenius is listed as the #1 rated product on Diaper Pin (http://www.diaperpin.com/). We've been there now for several years and only got there because real people (like you) told the world that you loved bumGenius and posted a positive review on Diaper Pin about your real experience with bumGenius diapers that you really bought. We've had our fair share of negative reviews, some fake, some from competitors trying to trash us, some from unreasonable people and some from real people who just genuinely didn't like the product. The world is selfish and thrives on recognition. I get it. There is something flattering about being #1. In reality though, only one of my products has made that cut. I'd like to see my fitted or my all-in-one at the top of those lists. They are great products, but they haven't been around as long as our regular one-size. They aren't nearly as popular and it just takes more time and more real use from real customers generating real reviews before they are going to bubble up to the top of their respective lists. I want them there, but I'm not about to try to "fake it" or "force it" to get them there either.
So, obviously I understand the manufacturer's position. They want to create buzz around their product. It can cost big bucks to bring a new product to market. The faster sales are built around that product, the faster the startup investment is reclaimed. The temptation to force that buzz is huge.
I understand the paid reviewer's position. They want a deal. Manufacturer's want buzz, the paid reviewer brings it, they want paid for their time as an advertiser.
I also understand the consumer's position. They just want the truth and they want it from people writing honest, unsolicited opinions.
I side with the consumer. Big companies are likely to laugh and call me a "silly little lady" (like the guy in a suit a few years back who told me there was no way I’d make it in business without his help) because generating reviews to build sales is “just business”. They probably would and likely are. But frankly, we have grown because people told people who told people that we care about people. We've had our moments of trying to force buzz... like I said, the temptation is great... but the consumers have proven again and again, when you really care, you don't have to force your buzz. It just happens because people talk.
We believe in organic reviews.
1. We do not reward reviews. This means that we don’t offer coupons or reward programs for people who leave us reviews. This means that you’re more likely to get a mix of honest opinions.
2. We occasionally invite customers who have sent us a happy email to post their thoughts publically. We don’t reward them for doing so and we would never presume to ask again.
3. Professional bloggers approach us all the time asking if they can review our products. We are always welcoming of reviews. However, we never initiate the contact with the blogger. They always come to us.
4. Personal bloggers almost never ask us if they can review our products. They just do it because they love the diapers or they love Cotton Babies... and I love them for it!
5. Media approaches us frequently. We welcome their calls, but have always taken a very hands -off approach. I would love to be profiled on the Today Show or be interviewed by Oprah, but it isn't going to happen because I was annoying by asking again and again. (One of my favorite interviews was with Valerie Schremp Hahn. Valerie is a local reporter who happened to be using bumGenius. She interviewed us and wrote a story for the St. Louis Post Dispatch that she called "A couple of bums... and proud of it" for the St. Louis Post Dispatch. It published on the front page of the business section.) If you are media, and want to interview us, several contacts are listed at the bottom of this post.
6. We choose not to publicly celebrate when celebrities use our products. You would be surprised who uses our product, but we believe that celebrities deserve to have a private life.
In a nutshell, if they like us, they call us. We do not, under any circumstances, “buy” any form of media coverage (other than ads in magazines). I will not send gifts or pay media. I do not send unsolicited samples to big companies. I do not take reporters out to dinner. I don’t host expensive media parties. I don’t even know what the big mommy blogs are. We’ve grown organically, parent to parent, from our $100 beginning seven years ago (6).
While this strategy may have worked against us in some ways (because we might not get coverage from members of the media who are influenced by favors), the media coverage for Cotton Babies and bumGenius has been hugely positive and from well-respected venues like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Slate Magazine, Parents Magazine, Pregnancy Magazine, The Consumerist (5) and a host of parents just like you.. While we may not take a traditional media approach, we believe that our approach is to your benefit.
We hope that you’re able to take things at face value, but if you ever have any questions about any review or media mention that you see, please email us at contactus@cottonbabies.com or give us a call at 888-332-2243. We’ll be glad to help! Reading reviews online can be overwhelming to anybody, but particularly to a new parent just diving into the swirling world of baby products.
In conclusion, we are appreciative beyond words to everyone who has written about us and all our faces (Cotton Babies, bumGenius, us personally or have inquired about covering our upcoming products) over the last seven years. I couldn’t have bought the kind of media coverage we’ve been treated to. Thank you for honoring us, our company and our product lines by taking the time to share your thoughts with the rest of the world. If you want to reach us with questions or interview requests, our marketing representative at Cotton Babies can be reached at kc@cottonbabies.com. Alternatively, you may contact Robyn Frankel of Frankel Public Relations at rfrankel@frankelpr.com.
(1) http://consumerist.com/185698/payperpostcom-pays-you-to-blog-shill-without-disclosure
(2) http://consumerist.com/5134066/belkin-caught-paying-for-positive-reviews
(3) https://www.mturk.com/mturk/welcome
(4) http://www.pcworld.com/article/167099/ftc_eyes_blogs_for_conflicts_of_interest.html
(5) http://www.bumgenius.com/media.php
(6) http://www.bumgenius.com/aboutus.php
(7) http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Get-Paid-For-Writing-Reviews-Online&id=131051
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