L'Oréal Wins with review quality while Olay lags behind

In the highly competitive beauty industry, the role of shopper product reviews, particularly in the moisturizer category, is pivotal in guiding consumer purchase decisions. Our insights into the landscape of shopper reviews reveal a fascinating dichotomy between quantity and quality, especially when comparing industry giants like 宝洁 (P&G) and 欧莱雅 .

Our extensive analysis of facial and body moisturizer reviews from the top UK online supermarkets since 2020 unveils critical insights. P&G, a conglomerate known for its extensive product range, including popular skincare brands such as Olay, has amassed a high volume of reviews. This abundance may be advantageous at first glance, as conventional wisdom suggests that more reviews could equate to higher shopper trust and, subsequently, increased sales. However, our AI LLM model, trained on tens of thousands of ratings from online shoppers, suggests a different narrative.

Despite Olay's substantial quantity of reviews the vast majority of which P&G source themselves, the quality, as measured by their influence score, is poor. This finding challenges the premise that quantity alone can dominate the narrative in influencing shopper behaviour.

There are also many repeated (some up to 20 times) and non-sensical reviews, such as the latest review on this Olay product on Tesco:

This is particularly relevant as we know that the content of the Top 3 reviews are most likely to be read by shoppers looking for more information about how a product performs or how it is best used. In this case, they may confused at best.

In contrast, these are the Top 3 visible reviews on Tesco.com as of February 2024 for Olay Complete Care Day Cream Moisturiser Sensitive Spf 15 50Ml:

Conversely, L'Oréal demonstrates that fewer, higher-quality reviews significantly impact consumer behaviour. These are the Top 3 reviews on Tesco for L’Oreal Paris Age Perfect Golden Age Rosy Oil Serum 30Ml:

Our analysis of the top 10 SKUs for 2023 revealed that L'Oréal products boast some of the highest Influence Scores, indicative of reviews that are not only persuasive but also resonate deeply with consumers' needs and preferences. These reviews, often detailed and articulately expressing the product's benefits, contrast sharply with the more numerous but less compelling reviews of P&G products.

This distinction between the two giants underscores a crucial strategy in the digital age: the pursuit of quality over quantity. L'Oréal's approach, focusing on garnering reviews that effectively communicate the product's value and address consumer concerns, evidently pays dividends in enhancing brand reputation and influencing shopper decisions.

Our analysis highlights several functional dimensions that consumers prioritise, such as absorption, greasiness, scent, and efficacy for dry or sensitive skin. While P&G and L'Oréal perform variably across these dimensions, the quality of reviews significantly influences consumer perception and choice, regardless of the brand.

Our findings underscore the importance of a strategic approach to shopper reviews. Brands should not solely focus on accumulating a vast number of reviews but should instead aim to cultivate high-quality reviews that truly resonate with and influence consumers. L'Oréal's success in achieving a higher Influence Score with fewer reviews exemplifies the efficacy of this approach, suggesting that in the realm of digital shopper engagement, quality trumps quantity.

This insight challenges brands to reassess their strategies around customer feedback and also offers a blueprint for leveraging the power of higher-quality shopper reviews to forge stronger connections with consumers and drive sales in the competitive moisturizer category.

If you don't know how influential your reviews are or want to get more influential reviews written by 100% verified shoppers then contact us.

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