The Power of Recommendations

Have you ever bought something because someone recommended it to you?

I have probably bought way too many things because someone told me a product was good, or I saw that they found use in it. This is what gives user generated content or UGC so much power. UGC is basically any digital content created by the end user, or in other words, YOU. 

Personally, I love to look up reviews or recommendations on Instagram or YouTube before I try a new product. I realize that I always gravitate toward reviews by someone like me, like someone in my age group or someone who has things in common with me. In my head, I think they will be more honest about the product than if someone paid for by the brand made a review. And apparently most people feel this way too as it has been proven that customers will trust their peers over a company's marketing more than eight out of ten times (The Shelf). This type of UGC is earned by a company and extremely effective in how a product is perceived. 

Currently, a lot of positive UGC centers around books and reading. Book content has become so popular it has its own hashtags, communities, and people create pages solely focused on books. What do you think of when you think about books and reading? Rather than a more negative feeling, a lot of people would have a positive feeling since book content has risen in popularity.

On the other hand, when Crackerbarrel went through its rebrand a lot of UGC reviews and reactions about the brand were negative. Before I even investigated what the rebrand looked like, just from a few passing videos, I already had a negative feeling toward the rebrand.

In an article by The Shelf, they say that engagement increased by 50% on campaigns that used UGC in their advertisements. This type of UGC is typically sponsored by a company and can be categorized as paid media. Even though this type of media is paid for by a company and may seem less authentic, some companies create challenges or competitions that can be just as impactful as a product review post or recommendation video. 

One challenge I see everywhere during the new year is the Gymshark66 challenge where anyone can post their fitness updates in hopes to become one of the famous Gymshark athletes, earn a photoshoot and free clothes. All of the thousands of posts from people tagging Gymshark and talking about the brand give them tons of basically free advertisement.

In conclusion, UGC is impactful and can affect a customer's inclination to buy from a brand and the brand's overall appearance to customers. UGC can also be used by a brand for inexpensive marketing and to reach audiences they might not have been able to reach before. So, the next time you think about participating in a brand contest or post a review about a product, you are creating UGC!

Resources

Armitstead, C. (2022, June 8). “after lockdown, things exploded” – how tiktok triggered a books revolution. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jun/08/lockdown-exploded-tiktok-books-revolution-booktok

Eberhardt, E. (2025, August 25). Cracker Barrel rebrand of “Iconic barrel” logo faces backlash. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2025/08/25/cracker-barrel-rebrand-logo-2025/

Newhouse, A. (2025, January 6). UGC is redefining social media marketing in 2025-here’s how to leverage it • the shelf. The Shelf, a Data-First Influencer Marketing Company. https://www.theshelf.com/the-blog/ugc-is-redefining-social-media-marketing-in-2025-heres-how-to-leverage-it/

Rhodes, M. (2019, December 11). What is #gymshark66?. Gymshark. https://www.gymshark.com/blog/article/what-is-the-gymshark-66-challenge?srsltid=AfmBOopxzQqez8GphD1Rm3Wg0NjdtjeZdXFfeePmz-jJV72Frqdc-V01