Online Brand Talk Mostly Positive

Good outweighs bad in mind of consumers

Social media allows consumers and competitors alike to actively engage in a discussion about a brand. While this makes some brand protectors quite nervous, their fear is somewhat displaced. Not only are most brands discussed in a positive fashion, but they positive views have more impact than the negative, according to research from Keller Fay Group.

The study found two-thirds of word-of-mouth brand references were “mostly positive” and credible. Positive buzz was more likely to be shared with others. Readers also were twice as likely to then look for additional information about the brand. The likelihood of a resulting purchase was four times higher.

Negative talk, conversely, was believed by less than half of those who encountered it.

Children’s products and food brands tended to get the most positive mentions. Least popular among the chatter are companies in telecommunications, financial services and healthcare industries.

Giving consumers a voice is crucial

While the idea of negative talk about a brand makes some marketers cringe, it is no longer optional. Customer product reviews are becoming a fixture on retail and consumer brand websites, with over 80% of retailers planning to feature them by the end of 2010.

Women talk about the good

Women are more likely to relate positive brand experience than they are to share negative ones.

Harbinger found that 92% of women them turn to friends and family for product information, making word-of-mouth their top source. They consider it important to seek and share information on a variety of product categories, with appliances, restaurants, automobiles and entertainment leading the list.

In the food and beverage category, which more than two-thirds of female internet users said they were likely to share information about, 58% said they would do so because of a good experience. A bad experience would motivate 46% of respondents to speak up.

78% of respondents to a recent survey conducted by Valued Opinions said they had shared their thoughts on a product or service via a social media site. Most comments were positive in nature. Just 5% of comments shared a negative view.