Customer reviews and advertising: a global transparency obligation - BuyTryShare's operational response

In a world saturated with advertising (over 10,000 messages per person!), consumers today demand more than a message: they want proof. Authenticity is becoming a marketing value. To meet this expectation - and to comply with increasingly stringent regulatory requirements worldwide - brands must now guarantee the veracity of the customer reviews they use.

The BuyTryShare solution, via its proprietary BTS Engine, offers brands a compliant, measurable and high-performance way of integrating authentic reviews into their media campaigns.

1. The global regulatory shift in online reviews

🇪🇺 Europe: Mandatory transparency

Since 2022, the European directive on unfair commercial practices has required companies to specify whether posted reviews are authenticated, how they are collected and whether they are subject to control. The ISO 20488 standard, transposed in France via AFNOR Certification's NF522 certification, sets out the requirements in terms of :

• review collection,

• moderation,

• publication.

Advertisers must now be able to prove the authenticity of the reviews they put forward.

🇺🇸 United States: open war on fake reviews

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is stepping up its investigations into fake appraisals. It has issued clear recommendations prohibiting :

• buying reviews,

• undeclared incentives,

• the misleading aggregation of testimonials.

🌐 Rest of the world: regulatory convergence

Other countries are adopting similar positions:

• The United Kingdom (CMA) requires reviews to be verified before publication.

• Australia prohibits excessive or selective filters on reviews.

• Singapore requires every review to be traceable to an actual consumer experience.

2. BuyTryShare: a compliant solution thanks to the BTS Engine

BuyTryShare's promise: to enable brands to transform verified consumer reviews into an engaging advertising format, in full compliance with regulations.

🚀 How the BTS Engine works (via trnd for PoCs)

For PoC (Proof of Concept) campaigns, BuyTryShare relies on trnd.com, the participative marketing platform of Bertelsmann subsidiary TERRITORY Influence. This platform guarantees a rigorous process:

1. Recruitment of 20 to 100 customers per brand via trnd, targeted by product or demographic profile.

2. Proof of purchase required for each participant (ticket, invoice, photo).

3. Collection of structured reviews (note, verbatim, visual) - unpaid to avoid bias.

4. Quality control and moderation before integration into a 5'' commercial.

5. Add-on broadcast on TV, press or DOOH, with QR Code redirecting to a dedicated review page with link to e-commerce page, appointment form, etc.

🎥 Real-life example: a cosmetics brand in Romania integrated customer verbatims into its TV campaign with CME. Result: +28% advertising attention and +15% measured purchase intent.

3. A performance and differentiation lever for brands

BuyTryShare enables brands to go beyond mere “RGPD compliant”: it's all about harnessing social proof as a marketing performance lever.

✅ Key benefits :

• Global regulatory compliance: every review is based on real-life experience.

• Greater credibility: proof is visible and traceable in advertising.

• Enhanced engagement: a differentiating media format, focused on the voice of the customer.

• ROI measurement: click-through rate, conversion, image uplift, etc., are tracked in PoC and industrialized campaigns

4. For Ad Sales Houses: an activatable premium service

While BuyTryShare represents a transformative lever for brands, it also represents a genuine opportunity for commercial differentiation for Ad Sales Houses - whether linear TV, BVoD platforms, press or cinema.

🎯 Three strategic levers for Ad Sales Houses:

• High CPM/GRP value format (additional spot).

• A differentiating solution for tenders.

• New monetization relay (services + additional media space).

🔶 1. A format with high CPM/GRP value: the 5-second add-on screen

The complementary BuyTryShare advert - broadcast immediately after the main advert - enables the advertising sales house :

• justify a price increase (via a higher CPM/GRP);

• increase the perceived value of the advertising screen by integrating highly engaging “social proof” content;

• occupy additional space on the screens sold without cannibalizing the initial spot.

📌 Example: In the Czech Republic, CME advertising agencies offered advertisers a “mixed spot” of 30'' + 5'', with the addition of a QR code for testimonials - creating a new type of pricing bundle.

🔶 2. A new hybrid monetization channel: media + services

In a competitive market where all advertising agencies offer more or less the same classic formats, BuyTryShare makes it possible :

• offer an enriched media offering, combining advertising + activatable social proof; ;

• meet advertisers' growing expectations in terms of commitment, proof, performance and CSR ;

• position itself as a strategic partner to brands, rather than simply a space distributor.

📊 Insight: According to an IFOP study (2023), 78% of advertisers say they are “ready to invest more in a media device incorporating proof of customer use”.

🔶 3. A new hybrid monetization channel: media + services

With BuyTryShare, agencies can market:

• additional services: PoC implementation, customer feedback management via trnd, creative support for the 5'' spot;

• complementary spaces: customer landing pages, QR codes redirecting to e-commerce or CRM ;

• des offres « bundles » innovantes, that combine classic media, UGC video and omnichannel activation.

💡 Business Model: An Ad Sales House can charge a BuyTryShare supplement in the form of a “Premium Engagement” package - generating additional revenue without modifying the advertiser's main media plan.

✅ In a nutshell: BuyTryShare enables agencies to :

• Reinforce the value of their media offering.

• Gain commercial differentiation.

• Generate new revenues (space + services).

It's a “turnkey” solution for adding value to their media inventory in a market where proof is becoming more precious than promise.

Conclusion: towards advertising enhanced by authenticity

BuyTryShare doesn't just tell a brand story: it allows consumers themselves to validate that story, publicly, collectively and verifiably.

In a world where trust has become the new currency between brands and audiences, authenticity is no longer an asset - it's a condition of survival.

With its BTS Engine and integration with traditional media devices via Proof of Concept (PoC) campaigns with trnd, BuyTryShare offers an innovative response to global transparency requirements, while maximizing advertising attention and return on investment.

The future of advertising is not in one-upmanship. It's about proof. And this proof is provided by the customers themselves. For greater efficiency.