@ConversationAge
What’s in a Review?
Drawing Marketing Insights from CGC.
Valeria Maltoni | Founder & CEO

@ConversationAge
Once upon a time…
participated in community
discussions & read reviews
on wine sites.

@ConversationAge
- How do I buy good wines?
- How do I discover new wines?
- How do I find the same wines I enjoyed?
- They don’t make the wine I loved anymore. What’s similar?
MOST COMMON
QUESTIONS

@ConversationAge
Robert Parker, the “one million dollar nose”
The Wine Advocate
from August 1978 to today (other experts)
How Parker solves the problem:
ü rates and reviews wines
ü read about new wines
ü find wines you like(?)
ü find similar wines (?)
Plus, what you get:
o create a profile at his site
o get discounts
What Parker gets:
+ personal prestige by association
+ user data
+ traffic to its online store

@ConversationAge
DELECTABLE
VIVINO
How the apps solve the problem:
ü find better rated wines
ü discover new wines
ü save the wines you like
ü find similar wines
Plus, what you get:
o recommend wines
o get data on your taste
What apps get:
+ collect data
+ enable transactions

@ConversationAge
• Find new wines to try:
Category-based “flash
sales”
• Remove uncertainty: Social
curation by experts
• Make it easy: Local
deals/coupons
• Inspiration for family/friend
anniversaries: Frequent updates
• Ability to ID wines: Interactive
features
• Ability to bookmark: Email
notifications
• Holiday gift ideas: High touch
• Reward discovery: Loyalty levels
• Reward discovery: “Reward points”
• Personalized suggestions
• Bridge experience-to-purchase
gap: Smart search, Taste profile
• Refills within similar taste: Wish
list, Favorites
• Community tie-in: Purchase via
social, Contests

@ConversationAge
GaryVee’s Wine Library
February 2006 to March 2011
then Daily Grape more in line with his lifestyle
How GaryVee solves the problem:
ü helps you learn wine tasting
ü so you can discover new wines
ü learn to find wines you like
ü find similar wines
Plus, what you get:
o discover your taste
o have fun learning
What he gets:
+ increased sales in his store
+ collaborations with chefs, etc.
+ and much more

@ConversationAge
GaryVee’s Daily Grape
more in line with his lifestyle
and how we consume information

How do we turn knowledge into data?
1 Learning to see
2 Going beyond the stars
3 How to find the feedback
4 Customer value / business growth

@ConversationAge
1 LEARNING TO SEE

@ConversationAge
> sources

@ConversationAge
> choices

@ConversationAge
> tools

@ConversationAge
> options

@ConversationAge
>> connected

@ConversationAge
>> when making decisions
q who am I?
q what kind of situation is this?
q what would someone like me do in this situation?

@ConversationAge
>> identity & behavior inform
“what does this
mean to me?”
“what should I do?”

@ConversationAge
>> our answer changes based on context

@ConversationAge
>> trade-off between being connected &
informed and privacy
“I know what I want”
“What are the best sites to
find product reviews?”

@ConversationAge
>> but that trade-off comes with expectations

@ConversationAge
>> people bring their whole selves to experiences
Occupation
Education
Home Life
Pain points
Key
Tasks/intent/motivation
AGE
REAL
WORLD
DIGITAL
OTHER
FAMILY
FRIENDS
OTHER

@ConversationAge
PROVISIONAL PERSONA
Novelty Seeker
• Shops withan open mindand a limitedagenda. Might just
have timeto kill. Loves to sort through inventory and see
what is new and interesting. Lives for the magic of finding a
unique piece at a great discount (even if it stills costs
$150) and a great color.
SUMMARY
• New arrivals Facebook and G+ notifications
• “Serendipitous merchandising” withthumb’s up, thumb’s
down
• “Popular on Pinterest” merchandising module to expose
more gems
• Leveraging Great Find concept via Twitter, Instagram
SOCIAL TACTICS
• “I get a real high when I score an amazing item.”
• “I never know what I might come home with. It’s
exciting”
• “I love hunting for treasures.”
OVERHEARD

@ConversationAge
• Creative and independent from a style point of view.
Knows what she wants or is on a mission tofindit.
Comes because she can find the latest trends in unique
designs and can buy sets without looking like an ad for a
DYI catalog. Loves the variety and the constant turn over
of inventory keeps her coming her coming back.
SUMMARY
•Strong composition cross sell
•Trends and styles editorial content
• Personalized recommendations
•“Pin it” button to share unique décor ideas with friends
•Shops by occasion / theme or widget
SOCIAL TACTICS
•“They have really different things. Unique stuff.”
•“I can put together an ensemble and findmatching
seasonal accessories.”
OVERHEARD
PROVISIONAL PERSONA
Self Expressionist

@ConversationAge
2 GOING BEYOND THE STARS

@ConversationAge

@ConversationAge
>> think larger context
Why would people
use the product /
service?
Book on
public speaking
Stock photo
site
Data visualization
software
Spreadsheet
app
making great
presentations
Adapted from Badass: Making Users Awesome, Kathy Sierra

@ConversationAge
>> what customer-centered means
Business claim What they mean What customers
want > mean
World-class
customer
service
World-class
customer
service
World-class
customer
service
Adapted from Badass: Making Users Awesome, Kathy Sierra

@ConversationAge
Saw your presentation:
amazing. What ___ did
you use?
[Kathy Sierra]
>> word of
obvious

@ConversationAge
>> readers like me

@ConversationAge

@ConversationAge
>> media = people like me

@ConversationAge
Why is what customers
tell each other is so
important?

@ConversationAgeThe Intention Economy, Doc Searls – figures 23-1 & 23-2

@ConversationAge
>> when talk is cheap

@ConversationAge
SURVEY
- brand-centric
- what customers are
willing to tell you
REVIEW
- experience-centric
- what people tell
each other

@ConversationAge
>> this is why I’m here, it’s at the end

@ConversationAge
>> the beginning is where it gets interesting

@ConversationAge
3 HOW TO FIND THE
FEEDBACK

@ConversationAge
>> customers have been telling us all along
what customer
have access to
Adapted from: Tom Duncan, IMC: Using Advertising and Promotion to Build Brands, 2002

@ConversationAge
>> product could be even better

@ConversationAge
>> you won’t regret… the seller

@ConversationAge
>> why service is (still) special in social

@ConversationAge
>> give readers
some credit

@ConversationAge
>> what’s fair is fair

@ConversationAge
>> extreme hyperbole
>> substance free

@ConversationAge

@ConversationAge
>> retaliating for negative reviews

@ConversationAge
Most problems we can
spot in reviews are
about (not) keeping
promises.

@ConversationAge
36.03%
Success rate. 103,523 projects
funded successfully.
$2,305,904,465
total dollars pledged.
Kickstarter, April 10, 2016.
Source: https://www.kickstarter.com/help/stats

@ConversationAge
>> words that work exhibit more social, cognitive,
affective or emotional & sensory or perceptual processes
FUNDED NOT FUNDED
mention your name in the [film, program,
introduction, thank you section, acknowledgment
section, credits of the film]
not been able [to finish the film]
pledgers will have [their pick, a special credit],
pledgers will [get, also receive, have]
hope to get [them all made in time]
also receive two [free, full passes, tickets, copies
of]
even a dollar [short, will, can]
good karma and we can afford dressed up [as celebrities, in period clothing]
[with your help] this project will be [a success] need one
The Language that Gets People to Give: Phrases that Predict Success on Kickstarter

@ConversationAge
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-time-awesome-smartwatch-no-compromises
Goal: $100,000in 40 days
Goal:$500,000in 40 days
>> pledge goals help assess if there is a market
+ product is born with built-in community

@ConversationAge
>> but, you have to deliver

@ConversationAge
>> your options

@ConversationAge
>> “so what?”
Does his research
Knows real issue
Gets results

@ConversationAge
>> in a 3 to 2 vote, Net Neutrality has won at
the FCC

@ConversationAge
4 CUSTOMER VALUE /
BUSINESS GROWTH

@ConversationAge
“Any new technology, any
extension or amplification of
human faculties when given
material embodiment, tends to
create a new environment. ”
[Marshall McLuhan]

@ConversationAge
>> how we (should) build experiences
2007
Branch
Call Center
ATM
Customer
Mobile
Internet
2015
Life Stage
Needs
Advice & Services
Advice & Services
Advice & Services
{
Point-of-Sale Point-of-Need

@ConversationAge
>> upgrade the customer
What customers want
World-class
customer
serviceDIGITAL HUB 3.0
§ Accessory-like (additive)
§ Cellular connectivity
§ Polished UI
§ App ecosystem
Does not require
anyone to change
behavior – yet.

@ConversationAge
>> converge message & incentive
BRAND
• Point of usage advantage
CUSTOMER
• Convenient + free
• Buy from Amazon with
confidence (selection + low
prices)
PLATFORM

@ConversationAge
Customers
ContentChannels
SHAREWebsites & Microsites
Guided Selling Tools
Shoppable Videos
Search
Email Marketing
Branded Community
INVOLVE
RESEARCH
Word-of-Mouth
Social Media Streams
Messaging Apps
Photo / Video Sharing
Mobile apps
Event Experiences
Retail ShoppingRELEVANCE
Relevance at the Intersection of Discovery, Engagement, and Action
Video Tutorials
Blogs
Consumer Generated Content
Expert Advice
Product Finders / Fitters
Product / Service Reviews
Interactive Apps

@ConversationAge
1. How to identify a problem to solve
2. Then break it down into actionable parts based on
online conversations
3. Analyze how existing experts and tools solve the
problem
4. To uncover potential gaps
5. We can address either with a new product, service,
and/or alternative point of view
What have we learned?

@ConversationAge
THANK YOU
GRAZIE
MERCI
DANKE
GRACIAS

Strategist & Marketer
I believe in helping
businesses rediscover the
value of promises and their
effect on relationshipsand
culture.
VALERIA
MALTONI

@ConversationAge
QUESTIONS ?