According to Nielsen’s 2011 Global Trust in Advertising Survey of over 28,000 Internet consumers from 56 countries, 92% of Internet consumers worldwide trust recommendations from people they know, while 70% trust consumer opinions posted online (90% and 68% respectively in North America).
Randall Beard, global head, Advertiser Solutions for the Nielsen Company said, “Although television advertising will remain a primary way marketers connect with audiences due to its unmatched reach compared to other media, consumers around the world continue to see recommendations from friends and online consumer opinions as by far the most credible.”
If people trust people they know over all else to recommend certain brands for products and services, why not trust them to help resolve their disputes? If people trust “consumer opinions posted online” by people they don’t know to such a high degree, why wouldn’t they trust them to suggest ways they could resolve their arguments?
Percent of Internet Users Having Some Degree of Trust in the Following Forms of Advertising in 2011
