Of all the UGC formats, reaction content might be the most honest. You can't fake a real first impression. You can try, and viewers will see through it in seconds. But a genuine reaction to something that actually affected you? That's irreplaceable.
What makes reaction content powerful
The visceral, unscripted moment of someone experiencing something for the first time — a fragrance they love, a skincare product that felt unexpectedly nice, a product that arrived and impressed them — creates a vicarious experience for the viewer.
You can't smell the screen. You can't feel the texture. But you can watch someone's genuine reaction and believe it. The brain is surprisingly good at this kind of empathetic translation. A real reaction is the closest thing to letting a viewer try the product themselves.
What it works for
Fragrance is the obvious one — you have to sell a scent somehow and genuine reaction is how you do it. Luxury skincare where the texture, scent, and packaging are part of the experience. Food and beverage. Anything where the sensory dimension is the key selling point.
It also works well for unboxing moments — when the product arrives and the packaging itself creates a real first impression. For brands that have invested in their packaging experience, this is some of the most valuable content they can get.
The inauthenticity risk
Performed reactions are immediately obvious and they actively damage the brand. "Oh my GOD this smells AMAZING" delivered with zero actual surprise is worse than no reaction content at all. Brief for genuine first experiences and give the creator real latitude to respond authentically. If you over-script a reaction, you've defeated the entire purpose.
I love creating reaction content for products I genuinely get to experience for the first time. If your product creates that kind of moment, let's capture it properly.