When was the last time you bought the latest new phone, TV or electrical gadget, or that in-trend dress or jacket?
Chances are, you’ll have splashed your cash based on a customer review via that retailer’s website or social media platforms.
There’s also a high likelihood that the words and pictures which swayed your purchase decision will have been created by US ratings and reviews software provider Bazaarvoice - and reached you via the technical artistry of its Belfast engineering team.
The Texas software firm opened its Belfast hub in 2017, with backing from Invest NI, aiming to drive success for Bazaarvoice worldwide.
Its chief technology officer (CTO) Colin Bodell, who leads Bazaarvoice’s technological innovation and engineering teams across North America, the UK, and India, has been in Belfast to underline the importance of its local operation and to reveal its plans for future growth.
And Liverpool-born Bodell, who in a 25-plus years career in technology has held senior leadership roles at prominent companies like Groupon, American Eagle Outfitters, Time Inc. and Amazon, believes Belfast remains “strategically key” to Bazaarvoice.
“The cultural fit and time zone makes Belfast a real sweet spot for us. So much so that we’ve even moved 30 extra roles from the US to Belfast,” he says.
“The technical skill set here is delivered by education, but also by the tech community, which in Belfast is super active and supportive of each other. It’s vibrant, intellectually sound and curious.
“Throwing hard problems at our engineers in Belfast is never a problem, because they deliver every time. It’s rare in any industry to get a group of people who work this well together. We have a strong and powerful tide in Belfast.”
Based over two floors at offices in Lanyon Place, its Northern Ireland operation has grown to 120 staff, while Bazaarvoice employs a further 30 people in Britain on a remote basis, who work with the Belfast team.
Belfast contributes to various aspects of the company’s business, including software development, engineering, customer support, and other functions.
Bazaarvoice - which is privately owned by TH Lee private equity companies in US - provides software and services to help businesses collect and display customer-generated content, such as reviews, ratings, photos, and Q&A. Its platform enables companies to leverage this content to build trust with consumers, enhance their online presence, and drive sales.
Thousands of the world’s leading brands and retailers trust Bazaarvoice technology, services, and expertise to drive revenue, extend reach, gain actionable insights, and create loyal advocates.
As Bodell explains: “Fundamentally, when people interact with products, services and experiences, they have an opinion, and being social animals, they enjoy sharing their experiences. They benefit from reading other people’s experiences, and we provide the technology to allow people to do that.
“For example, say Samsung is coming out with a brand new TV, and if it shows up on Amazon or Argos or whatever other website with no reviews or ratings, nobody is going to buy it.
“You don’t get reviews before the product is sold, but nobody will buy it until they see the review. So it’s a chicken and egg situation, which is where we come in.
“Bazaarvoice has build up a seven million-plus reviewer community network who currently write 11 million new monthly reviews.
“So, maybe 100 of them will get that Samsung TV and they can play around with it, experience it and we encourage them to write a review, which could be a good or bad, but must be honest. We then collect those reviews, which get syndicated with all of the retailers who will sell that brand.
“The review must a fair and authentic representation of that product, and must be written by a real person, based on their real experience.
“There are companies who realise that more and better reviews will help them sell their products, and may be tempted to write their own. But we’ve got extensive and well-tuned technology to catch that and get those fake reviews removed.”
Anyone can join the Bazaarvoice influencer network (there’s an app people can download to read and submit reviews).
Bodell adds: “If you are a member of that network, you have an opportunity, based on your demographic background, to receive no-cost products, samples, or maybe discount coupons. Anybody can join the network.
“Maybe a beauty company is coming out with a new type of lipstick or make-up. They know their target demographic is women between 18 and 24, living in certain neighbourhoods, with a certain income, and maybe 27 other different attributes. We then give them 100 people that match at demographic to a tee.”
Bazaarvoice will gather that data for its customers in a wide range of industries such as retail, travel and automotive, and help them manage and analyse customer feedback to improve their products and services.
“And that’s where the creative artistry of the Belfast engineers comes in, formulating the reviews for products and services while will be seen by hundreds of millions of people every day,” Bodell adds.
There are challenges to the Bazaarvoice model, of course, via the growth of artificial intelligence.
Bodell accepts that while AI can help enhance operations and customer experiences, its unethical use poses significant risks, especially in user-generated content, and he has written a number of articles on the subject.
“Ultimately, brands and retailers can and should use AI to supplement human capabilities, not replace them,” he says.
“The relationship between AI and human expertise must be symbiotic, enriching customer experiences and organisational effectiveness. As stewards of AI, brands bear a profound responsibility to wield this technology ethically and responsibly.”