Social Proof

Customers trust their peers and other customers of the brand more than the brand. In the online shopping experience, reviews, selfies and other user generated content (UGC) have become a key pre-purchase information source for the customer. Additionally, the rise of mobile and social networks have enabled customers to seek validation from their peer groups and other fans of the brand. These online methods have been great ways to gather rich user generated Retailers have looked for ways to build on the success of these online initiatives by using some of the user generated content in the physical store. Displaying this content conveniently in the location the product such as on the price label would gives valuable pre-purchase information to the customer. The costs of sourcing and deploying digital labels to display this information is however cost prohibitive. Retailers have tried all sorts of different concepts from encouraging customers to upload selfies to displaying popular trends from social media on digital signs in the store. So far none of the in-store social proof concepts appear to have gone any further than a pilot phase.