ZenithOptimedia: Referrals From Friends, Family Hold More Weight

  • April 8, 2008
Recommendations by friends and family have the greatest influence on brand choice among all consumer "touchpoints," according to new research from ZenithOptimedia.

Based on the first public results of its Touchpoints ROI Tracker service, word of mouth was a more powerful influencer than marketing contacts including point of sale, point of consumption, sponsorship and events, the Internet and mass media.

Globally, the influence of marketing contacts and the overall level of brand recall is much higher in Asia Pacific than in North America or Europe. TV advertising, for instance, is 20% more influential in Asia than in North America, while Web banner ads are 30% more influential in Asia than in Europe.

To date, ZenithOptimedia has completed 300 Touchpoints ROI Tracker projects, comprising over 300,000 interviews across 34 countries and covering more than 4,000 brands in 126 product and service categories.

--Mark Walsh

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