Customer Satisfaction Trust In Advertising 3 Key Takeaways

Customer Satisfaction Trust In Advertising 3 Key Takeaways Customer Satisfaction Trust In Advertising: 3 Key Takeaways Image Source: iStockCUSTOMER  satisfaction,  across the globe, continues to be driven by the faith most  people  have in recommendations from those whom  they know. Such recommendations  topped  a list of 19 kinds of advertising in 2015, and  reflected a trend that has been developing over the past eight years.According to data compiled worldwide in Q1 of 2015 by global marketing research firm Nielsen, 83 percent of respondents stated they somewhat or completely trusted consumer recommendations from friends and acquaintances.While Nielsen  stresses that the survey was online only, Statista.coms mining of data from equivalent surveys in Q3 2007, Q3 2011 and Q1 2015 reveals that throughout those years too, recommendations from those we know were  the most trusted form of advertising.The following four graphs will be  of interest to anyone interested in the path towards customer satisfaction. They  show  the top 19 most trusted forms of advertisingâ€"in orderâ€"and, in years where data is available, chart their  growth between  2007  and  2015.Consumer Trust in Advertising 2007-2015Data Source: Statista.comIn 2015, branded websites were the closest advertising rival for consumer trust last year, trusted by 70 percent of respondents.The joint third most trusted advertising forms, declared by 66 percent of those surveyed were online consumer opinions, and editorial content such as newspaper articles.This is followed by television advertising (63 percent); brand sponsorship (61 percent); newspaper ads (60 per cent); magazine ads (58 percent); and, each trusted by 56 percent of the survey, billboards and other outdoor advertising; and emails they have signed up for.Topping the bottom nine most trusted forms of advertising is TV product placement, trusted by 55 percent; followed by advertising in cinema and on radio, each of which are trusted by 54 percent of the survey.Forty-eight percent of respondents declared their trust in online video ads. This is followed in pre ference by advertising in search engines (47 percent); on social media (46 percent); display ads on mobile devices (43 percent); online banner ads (42 percent); and text ads on mobile phones (36 percent).What can we gather from this? The findings in the Nielsen report were based on online respondents from 60 countries, and provide a perspective only on the habits of internet users. They do not fully reflect developing markets where online penetration is still growing, and audiences may be younger and more affluent than the general population.However, there are three  key takeaways.1. Digital Has Yet to Trump Word-of-MouthONE OF the key  realities  in the search for customer satisfaction and loyalty is that word-of-mouth has by no means had its day. Randall Beard, president of Nielsen Expanded Verticals, says: “The power of digital ad formats cannot be underestimated… but few brands have mastered online word-of-mouth marketing techniques, the results of which can go viral very qu ickly.”He recommends: “Evolve the relationship from a one-way sales pitch to a two-way conversation. And be transparent and accountable.” (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 2. Trust in ‘Trad Media’ Remains StrongWITH 63 percent of global respondents trusting television ads, 60 percent declaring their faith in newspaper advertising, and 58 percent in magazines, the traditional or offline media cannot yet be counted out in the digital age.In fact, newspaper ads almost completely clawed back the intense plummet in consumer trust and customer satisfaction they suffered between 2007 (63 percent) and 2011 (46 percent). A similar pattern prevails for radio ads, while television ads now exceed the levels of consumer trust declared in 2007 (56 percent) by seven percentage points.As Randall Beard declares, a move from TV to an all-display digital plan would be a bold one, and marketers should consider a mix of both offline and online channels for the best ROI. is a bold move for any marketer. Consider a mix of both offline and online channels for the best ROI.3. Trust is Not Always a Prerequisite to PurchaseNIELSEN emphasises  that its findings are based on claimed behaviour, not actual metered data. Secondly and perhaps more interestingly, the findings in a separate section of its report suggest that trust in an advertising format is not always a prerequisite to action.Nielsen’s 2015 survey reveals that for the ad types on the lower half of the ‘trust table’, self-reported action actually exceeds trustâ€"in double digits in the cases of search engine results (47 percent trust, 58 percent take action); ads on social networks (46 percent trust, 56 percent take action); and text ads on mobile phones (36 percent trust, 46 percent take action).These formats share a common attribute, best summed up by Randall Beard: “Easy access to products/servicesâ€"you like it, you buy it.”