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Small Business Center

Bad Online Reviews May Not Be All Bad

April 14, 2022

A recent paper published in the Journal of Marketing says bad reviews online might not translate into bad-for-business in real life. According to the peer-reviewed study, depending on how a reader perceives the author of a poor assessment, critical dings could even lead to an uptick in purchases. The less a reader believes they have in common with the author of the review, the more likely a negative review would increase the reader’s interest in making a purchase. The study’s authors explain that reading negative reviews of these brands “can pose a threat to a customer’s identity, prompting the customer to strengthen their relationship with the identity-relevant brand,” especially if the reviewer is demographically and geographically disparate.

Learn more in Fast Company.

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