ONLINE reviewers are changing the shopping habits of British consumers, according to the founder of the UK's largest consumer review site.
Paul Nadin, of www.reviewcentre.com, said online product reviewers put pressure on companies to meet their demands and specifications or face being criticised on the web.
"The consumer power of websites such as Review Centre and social networking sites like Facebook have shown firms the influence consumers have and how they can affect industry changes.
"The re-emergence of Cadbury's Wispa after a Facebook campaign is a classic example of people power lobbying big companies.
"This is an important way of companies researching consumer wants and ensuring their products are hitting the right audiences. A negative review online can cause untold damage to a product, adversely affecting sales and reputation," he said.
It's not all doom and gloom online, however, as Nadin says happy customers regularly log on to praise products.
He added: "40 per cent of the online postings are overwhelmingly positive and there is clearly an appetite to communicate good news about a brand, rather than focusing on the bad.
"It is these loyal consumers who are like gold dust to marketers. There is a considerable consumer force which should not be underestimated by marketers in today's climate where competition is fiercer than ever and brands are at the mercy of the consumer voice.
"If a consumer's trust is broken by substandard or poor service, the floodgates of customer opinion are unleashed on the web and this is when companies can find themselves falling victim to the widespread sharing of negative information on the web."
