Connected consumers told us their top sources of brand information are:
- Internet and websites 72%
- Friends and family 53%
- Review sites 44%
The famous ‘watercooler moment’, whether fuelled by online or offline media forms, through friends and family or review sites, continues to hold great power.
Next on the list are social media (both company-owned sites and individuals’ pages) at 42%, and then advertising at 31%.
Company websites were cited by just 27% of consumers.
There are not huge differences across the five markets. Connected consumers in the UK and France are less likely to see advertising as a source of brand information; and in China there is a substantially greater focus on celebrity endorsers.What organisations say about themselves – in advertising and on their own websites – is no longer seen as a major source of the information consumers feel they need on brands. There have always been reviews and friends and family, but ads and company sites are seen as less of a go-to source than before
Editorial and advertising can drive consumers to brand-owned media assets
Company websites are naturally seen as an off-shoot of the organisation owning them. They play a valuable role as a repository of further facts and details. But consumers won’t see them as an objective source of information.
Paid and earned media forms can drive consumers seeking more information to brand websites – but consumers are less likely to find their own way there in searching for information.
Both offline and online media forms have a role to play as information sources on brands
Source: Dimension2019 KANTAR Media