AdAge reports that friends and family are the source consumers trust most when it comes to making purchasing decisions. The news comes from ZenithOptmedia's Touchpoints ROI Tracker which reveled friends and family to be most trusted, followed by TV ads and internet search, magazine ads, newspaper ads, outdoor ads, and internet banner ads last. Notably absent for this survey was recommendations from your internet friends and family.
It's not hard to believe that you trust a family member or friend more than you trust a television ad, but I'd be curious to see who's trusted more, your actual friends or your FaceBook friends.
Every day people base purchasing decisions on what people on the internet are saying, and most times it's someone they've never met. In the last month I've made major travel decisions based on TripAdvisor, what books to read based on Amazon reviews, and what restaraunt to eat at based on MetroMix. I read the reviews and essentially put my decisions in the hands of strangers.
Now granted it's a lot of strangers and I rely on the wisdom of crowds to prevail, but at what point do these strangers hold more influence over me than my personal friends and family?
I don't have the answer, but I'd be curious to hear people's thoughts on the matter. If anyone finds this study, or wants to lead it, I'd be fascinated to learn the result.
(Article from AdAge)
I would trust the combined wisdom of crowds than family and friends.
Posted by: jeff | November 16, 2008 at 07:56 PM