Consumer Trust – Where Art Thou?

Forms of Advertising - Degree of Trust

Forms of Advertising - Change in Degree of Trust

It’s no surprise that based on the Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey, 90 percent of people trust recommendations from others they know. The survey also shows that 70 percent trust consumer opinions posted on brands’ websites and online in general.

—The greatest increase in consumer trust measured over a 2-year period is in the brand sponsorship category. A very close second is seen in the cinema advertising category.

—Although newspaper advertising is the only media form that recorded a drop in consumer trust, it still remains a widely trusted source with 61 percent surveyed reporting trust of the medium.

Perhaps the most interesting findings show that the newest and hottest media forms still have a lot of work ahead of them to earn consumer trust. Only 24 percent trust text ads on mobile phones, 33 percent trust online banner ads, 37 percent trust online video ads and 41 percent trust search engine results.

While experts point out that the biggest issue is the way in which online ads are served, there are also learnings that the online media community can capitalize on as it relates to the increase in trust of brand sponsorships. Finding ways to offer more sponsorship opportunities would allow them to leverage the trustworthiness of brand websites and by association, improve their own credibility scores.