• September 30, 2008

According to the September 2008 Ad-ology Media Influence on Consumer Choice survey, 60.5% of U.S. consumers who recently purchased a mobile or wireless phone said online product reviews and user comments had some or significant influence on their purchase decision.

 

Nearly 30% also rated information from blogs with the same level of influence.

Other key findings from the survey:

• Consumers who rated online blogs and reviews highly tend to be younger (18 to 34 years old), and have average or higher-than-average incomes.

• Television, newspapers, and direct mail advertisements were among the most influential traditional media for recent mobile phone buyers.

• 26.3% prefer to purchase mobile/wireless phones online instead of in person/at a store.

• Product reviews, user comments, and blogs significantly influenced other consumer electronics purchases.

• The price of a cell phone was widely considered to be a less important buying factor than rate plans, coverage area, and mobile phone product quality.

The full report is available at www.ad-ology.net.--Nina M. Lentini