Product review provider Bazaarvoice has bought social commerce solution Curalate to add more visual tools to its network of reviews.
The integration will offer brands the ability to leverage inspirational social content to drive sales on social, on websites, and throughout the Bazaarvoice retailer network. Customers will also benefit from Curalate’s industry-leading solutions for turning social content into shoppable experiences.
Curalate provides shoppable social, UGC, and influencer marketing solutions to more than 1,000 brands and retailers, including Best Buy and Lululemon. Curalate’s technologies turn images into digital storefronts that give consumers compelling shopping experiences online. With the integration of Curalate, Bazaarvoice will offer brands the ability to leverage inspirational social content to drive sales on social, on websites, and throughout the Bazaarvoice retailer network.
Bazaarvoice customers will benefit from Curalate’s industry-leading solutions for turning social content into shoppable experiences along with Curalate’s badged relationship status with leading social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Research highlights the importance of social content in the purchase journey, particularly for Gen Z, who are 34% more likely than other age groups to find out about new brands and products through influencers. According to Bazaarvoice’s Shopper Experience Index, about
42% of global shoppers say they have made a purchase on social media.
Curalate customers will benefit from Bazaarvoice’s leadership position and expertise in the ratings and reviews category, its global scale, relationships with over 6,200 brand and retailer websites in its global retail network, and its large user-generated content database.
Bazaarvoice’s Shopper Experience Index also revealed a 17% year-on-year increase in reviews that include photos across its network and a 67% increase in photo submissions among its Influenster community of influential shoppers who are invited to review products. Furthering this significant upward trend, a survey found that shoppers want even more visual content in reviews — when asked what type of UGC they wish they had more access to, it was their top request.
Keith Nealon, CEO, at Bazaarvoice, says: “Consumers are increasingly referring to images and videos within reviews to be able to buy online with confidence. As shoppers turn to e-commerce in unprecedented numbers due to the COVID-19 outbreak, empowering them with access to this type of UGC has become more important than ever. Our acquisition means brands and retailers can take advantage of the huge consumer appetite for visual content and social shopping. They will benefit from the most engaging and effective ratings and review content, expertly delivered through partnerships with the world’s major social platforms.”
Apu Gupta, CEO and Co-Founder, Curalate, says: “From the outset, Curalate has believed that social media and visual content would shape how consumers shop. This vision has been validated by the 1,000+ brands we work with and the hundreds of millions of people who engage with Curalate experiences. Now, by joining Bazaarvoice, we have the opportunity to accelerate what we started while bringing an extraordinary value proposition to brands and retailers globally.”
Curalate co-founders, Apu Gupta and Nick Shiftan, will remain onboard, joining the Bazaarvoice team in leading the vision for visual commerce. Find out more about the integrated offerings here.