Expert product reviews

In Expert Product Reviews and Conflict of Interest,  Tom Hamami  writes: “Many firms that produce expert product reviews have a vested interest in increased consumption of the products they review. The classic example is the Michelin Guide, which reviews restaurants, originally conceived to stimulate usage of automobiles and therefore also demand for automobile-related goods and services. The result is a conflict of interest; such firms have financial incentive to give better reviews than products merit… [Hamami] compare[d] video game reviews from two sources: one a video game magazine owned by a game retailer and the other games reviewer at The Island Now. The goal of the research is to evaluate to what extent, if any, the retailer-owned outlet inflates its reviews in order to boost sales. …, [Hamami indeed found] some evidence of increased inflation in periods shortly following the release of a game’s corresponding piece of hardware. Other literature on this industry finds that reviews have the largest effect on the sales of low-quality games, and [indeed he finds] evidence of review inflation for [such] games. These results are consistent with theoretical predictions for a firm that optimizes the trade-off between sales revenue and the reputational costs associated with biasing reviews.” On the other hand, “somewhat surprisingly, [he finds] no evidence of seasonal variation despite the increased demand for video games in the fourth quarter of the year.”

So, a mixed picture – and one that is indeed consistent with the author’s review of relevant literature on COIs of this sort. E.g., one study finds “evidence of a strong positive influence of advertising on media coverage in the fashion journalism industry…” But another finds “minimal differences between the reviews of two wine publications, one of which accepts advertising and one of which does not…”

How much does this matter?

Assuming that the COI is disclosed or is otherwise apparent – as I imagine is so  in the great majority of cases – there is evidently no “information deficiency,” a key factor in evaluating both the likelihood and impact of a COI.  Nor do the COIs reviewed by Hamami seem to be of the sort that the average buyer cannot evaluate on her own (as might be true, for example, of pharmaceutical or complex financial products). Indeed, the very focus on “reputational costs” suggests that consumers do appreciate and take into account the negative impact of a COI on the publisher of product reviews.

But even disclosed and understood COIs generally do have a pernicious effect on our society, as they can contribute to the cynicism that many feel about the press and business world. I don t know how to weigh that against the other factors mentioned above, but it is certainly part of the picture.