• by Wayne Friedman , September 30, 2015

Nielsen says the highest trust levels of advertising comes from recommendations of “friends and family” -- posting an 83% number across 60 countries.This is down one percentage point from the 84% level in 58 countries in 2013.

With regard to the biggest media in terms of advertising dollars -- television -- 63% of global respondents say they completely or somewhat trust TV ads, up one percentage point from 2013. Millennials (age 21 to 34) give TV a 67% score -- the highest of any age group.

Trust in advertising on branded Web sites is at 70% -- up one percentage point, for the second-most-trusted format. Branded Web sites were at the same second place level in 2013. Eighty-five percent of millennials age 21-34 have trust in branded Web sites.

Nielsen says Millennials show the highest levels of trust in 18 of 19 advertising formats/channels -- including TV, newspapers and magazines -- and they are also the most willing to take action on 16 of 19 formats.

On the flip side, the lowest level of advertising "trust" are text ads on mobile phones -- just 41% for Millennials and 18% for those 65 years and older. Online banner ads are next among the worst, with a 47% approval score from Millennials and a 25% number from those 65 and older.

Other digital formats also scored low, including ads on mobile devices, search engine results, and online video ads. Looking at traditional media, radio also polled weak results -- 55% level for millennials, 57% for GenXers (ages 35-49), and 49% for Boomers (ages 50-64).

One strong digital area -- consumer opinions posted online -- is at 66%, down two percentage points from 2013.

Newspapers and magazine were in the middle of the pack: 60% for newspapers and 58% for magazines, which fell one and two percentage points, respectively, from two years ago.

The Nielsen Global Survey of Trust in Advertising was conducted between February 23, 2015 and March 13, 2015 -- polled from more than 30,000 consumers in 60 countries throughout Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and North America.

The sample has quotas based on age and sex for each country based on its Internet users, and is weighted to be representative of Internet consumers. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 0.6%.