However, in this new age of consumer control, advertisers will be encouraged by the fact that brand websites, the most trusted form of advertiser-led advertising, are trusted by as many people (70%) as consumer opinions posted online
Forms of Advertising in Which Consumers Trust "Somewhat" or "Completely" (April, 2009) | |
Advertising | Percent of Respondents Trusting |
Recommendations from people known | 90% |
Consumer opinions posted online | 70% |
Brand websites | 70% |
Editorial content (e.g. newspaper article) | 69% |
Brand sponsorships | 64% |
TV | 62% |
Newspaper | 61% |
Magazines | 59% |
Billboards / outdoor advertising | 55% |
Radio | 55% |
Emails signed up for | 54% |
Ads before movies | 52% |
Search engine results ads | 41% |
Online video ads | 37% |
Online banner ads | 33% |
Text ads on mobile phones | 24% |
Source: Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey, April 2009 |
Jonathan Carson, President of Online, International, for the Nielsen Company, said "The explosion in Consumer Generated Media... means consumers' reliance on word of mouth in the decision-making process... has increased significantly."
Globally, consumer opinions posted online tend to be trusted most by:
Online opinions tend to be trusted the least:
72% of U.S. Internet consumers trust Online opinions, meaning the U.S. ranks 12 out of the 50 countries represented in the survey for trusting consumer opinions online.
When it comes to brand sponsorship trust:
Online brand sponsorships hold the least sway among:
62% of U.S. Internet consumers trust brand sponsorships, placing the U.S. 21 out of the 50 countries surveyed.
Brand websites, globally the most trusted form of advertiser-led advertising, hold the greatest sway:
Brand websites tend to be trusted least among Internet consumers in:
The U.S. ranks 22 among the countries surveyed with 70% of U.S. Internet consumers trusting brand websites.
"The regional differences provide a clear guide to advertisers as to how they should focus their ad strategy in different countries," concludes Carson
For more information about this study, please visit Nielsen here.