Austin Entrepreneur Network

Bazaarvoice Hits 100 Billion Mark

Almost two years ago Bazaarvoice started a counter on their home page marking the number of pieces of user-generated content (UGC) they had served up on the web. We estimated that later that same year they would hit 20 billion reviews. Now, as you can tell from the home page, the company has reached the 100 billion milestone. That’s a lot of reviews and user-generated content! With 80% of consumers now seeking user-generated review content to guide purchases, this new milestone represents a tremendous transformation in shopping behavior and underscores the role of digital word of mouth as the most influential form of advertising today. This record achievement comes as Bazaarvoice prepares to celebrate its fifth anniversary in May 2010 with more than 750 clients operating in 25 languages and 36 countries.

The company is also on a hiring spree, seeking to add 100 new people to the company this quarter, with 75 of those positions being in Austin.

“Literally translated, Bazaarvoice means ‘voice of the marketplace.’ For the first time in human history, word of mouth is a digital medium, representing a shift that is more transformational and powerful than we could have imagined just a few years ago,” said Brett Hurt, founder and CEO of Bazaarvoice. “The ‘hidden’ impact of 100 billion impressions of user-generated content is the way that Bazaarvoice clients are using this content to transform the way they do business – rewriting the textbook on marketing and merchandising, improving products, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty, reengineering channel relationships, and adopting entirely new processes based on digital word of mouth. I’m very thankful for our partnership with our clients, as well as our passionate culture of employees who innovate constantly and serve them at every opportunity. And while we’ve rapidly grown, we have also scaled the Bazaarvoice Foundation to give back to the communities in which we operate.”

Companies using Bazaarvoice gain a proven and innovative way to market with their customers in the channels where they shop, creating authentic conversations that deliver tremendous consumer value, drive real business results, and power organizational transformation. Bazaarvoice has published more than 40 case studies and numerous blog posts that prove the ROI of the company’s innovative solution suite and chronicle the most dramatic changes the company has seen on the path to 100 billion impressions.