A new study was able to predict the success of movies, commercials, books and restaurants by relying on the ’emotionality’ of reviews instead of the star rating.

That’s because most products online are now rated positively, making it harder than ever to truly discern whether they will succeed in the marketplace.

A new study from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and the University of Massachusetts Boston was able to predict the success of movies, commercials, books and restaurants by relying on the «emotionality» of reviews instead of the star rating.

The researchers explored box office revenue of 2,400 movies, sales of 1.6 million books and real-world reservations at more than 1,000 restaurants. In their analysis, emotion reigned supreme; in fact, higher star ratings were either a weaker signal of success or negatively related to success.

«One attractive aspect of online purchasing is that consumers have reviews at their fingertips,» said Derek D. Rucker, the Sandy & Morton Goldman Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies in Marketing at Kellogg and co-author of the study.

«However, this research demonstrates a ‘positivity problem’: Most reviews are positive. In this ‘sea of positivity,’ how do people distinguish products?» Rucker said.

Story Source:
Materials provided by Northwestern University. Original written by Mohamed Abdelfatta. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.