As many groups in class have restaurants as clients, I thought this would be an interesting article to bring up. Usually, restaurants try to get their name out there through encouraging positive reviews on sites such as Yelp and Urban Spoon. These are some of the most effective mediums to get consumer opinions across because they are viewed as trusted websites and not to mention the fact that consumer to consumer reviews are extremely effective. 

A San Fran based Italian joint, Botto Bistro, is taking a different approach and it’s working for them. After the restaurant stopped advertising Yelp, apparently the reviews turned negative and some positive ones even came down, which turns our Yelp is permitted to do. Botto Bistro, in turn, decided to act on this and started initiating a campaign to be the worst rated website on Yelp. 

In conjunction with an offensive menu that charges for ridiculous items, they encourage consumers to give 1-star Yelp reviews in return for 25% off pizza. This may seem like a strange marketing tactic but apparently, it’s actually working for them! They are definitely standing out by trying to be the worst reviewed restaurant on Yelp. 

Check out some examples of the reviews they’ve received: 

Check out the article for full details: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/restaurant-wants-be-worst-rated-yelp-and-reviews-are-indeed-hilarious-160299

For me, this really shows that although these reviews are authentic and give honest reviews of consumer experiences, the over image can be skewed and tailored through Yelp. I now trust Yelp a little less knowing that the have the power to remove reviews and bias the ratings to their advantage.