Friends first // consumer trust levels and media.

A well-crafted message and insightful creative can provoke thought and reaction from its audience. But what will be the longer term outtake, will you trust our message enough to seek us out or trial us?

Advertising is notorious for creating hyperbole; humour and entertainment are often the key to being likeable and memorable. When it comes down to the sales figures though will it pay off? In Nielsen's recent study into global trust in advertising, personal and informative referrals remain at the top of the list. 92% of those who participated in the online study (a total of 28,000 respondents) trust earned media, such as recommendations from family or friends, over all other types. 

Online consumer reviews are the second most trusted for brand or message advice. Editorial content and branded websites are the next most trusted forms, while consumer trust in online, social and mobile advertising has also grown. Confidence has declined for traditional media with a 20-25% decrease in trust of television, magazine and newspaper ads between 2009 and 2011.

This study confirms a long-standing trend in humanity to trust and believe our friends and family above all else. The high placement of editorial content represents how PR is a big communications threat to the advertising industry. What PR lacks, however, is the creativity we find in advertising that builds a brand identity; creating an intangible asset that has so much value and symbolic association for its supporters.