Back when online reviews and social media were just starting to go mainstream, I was working at an ad agency and frequently talking to clients about this strange new world of direct (and immediate) feedback.
There's one question I heard more than any other: "What if someone says something negative about us?"
The philosophical response, of course, is "Learn from their feedback and try to improve?"
In reality, that's a good way to get an exec to look at you like you just said, "Have you tried redistributing your wealth to the proletariat?"
Time eventually proved that negative reviews are a fact of life and are usually taken with a grain of salt by consumers who can tell an informed critic from an inane hater.
But some marketers have shown you can flip the script entirely and turn negative reviews into something joyously positive.
How? By remembering that whatever your product is, it's not everyone's cup of tea. Which is something your fans probably take pride in—and you should too.
The best example is ski resort Snowbird's incredible, pitch-perfect ads that blasted the text of 1-star reviews over gorgeous shots of its challenging runs.
This week, we saw another extension of this idea. Artist Amber Shares has been gathering up 1-star reviews of national parks and turning them into classic, vintage-style posters.
Each poster highlights that the splendor of nature isn't for everyone—which means you'll probably have plenty of room to yourself if you want to go out and enjoy it.
Check out her posters here for a good laugh—and then make plans to go out into the wilderness this weekend.
Hopefully you'll have a 5-star experience in what is definitely a 1-star year.
David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com
Dive deeper with an Adweek Pro Subscription, your key to the inside scoop on the marketing and advertising trends and reporting that guide the world's top brands.
