Shopper Insights

Sniffing out a fake: How one product stays on top using promotional reviews

Skin Deep: Navigating the Hype Among Men's Lotion

In the world of men's skincare, two top themes emerge:

  1. Scent, with 30% of reviews mentioning it.
  2. Moisturizing Effectiveness, accounting for 23% of the discussion.

So who's the winner in this category? At a glance, Dove Men+Care stands out as the top-ranking product, coming in at 4.6 stars.

Issue #28 Mens Lotion

When we peel back the layers, however, the story changes.

Dove Men+Care's top ranking is significantly influenced by an aggressive promotional campaign, with 76% of its reviews being promotional, in stark contrast to Nivea Men's entirely organic review base.

In fact, when promotional reviews are excluded, Nivea Men surpasses Dove Men+Care in moisturizing effectiveness, scoring 4.4 stars compared to Dove Men+Care's 3.6.

What does this tell us? This finding highlights the dramatic impact that promotional review campaigns can have in garnering product trial and unit sales.

However, this can serve as a double-edged sword as consumers using the product with unfounded high expectations may be disappointed and avoid repurchasing or even leave critical reviews.

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