consumer
In one survey conducted, ‘36% of consumers said that hidden charges deterred them from shopping online’ (Anon, 2008: page 6). This is the sort of activity that fuels the cynicism in the eSceptics minds. Brands need to undertake a more transparent attitude in order to convert the eSceptics into their consumers. The first step has already happened for this group, they are already online. The barrier comes in when faced with connecting with brands and making purchases. Akin to the respondent previously quoted, a further 23.1% that completed the questionnaire said that they were sceptical about product recommendations for several different reasons. Although it does have certain pitfalls, a way to overcome this is the implementation of user-generated content. One report states that ‘over half of Millennials trust the opinions of strangers online over those of friends and family.’ (Bazaarvoice B, 2012: page 10). This suggests that user-generated content is a good way to help banish scepticism, as it presents information from ‘real’ sources. This was again reflected in the questionnaire responses, with a massive 79.7% preferring to read users reviews and comments to brand copy. The negatives associated with user-generated content, mentioned in the market section of this report, mean that brands should think about using it not just in the form of reviews. Incorporating personalised features with recommendations specifically from other users would overcome the issues, and abolish the eSceptics criticisms of brand content.
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