Global Consumers' Distrust Advertising, Trust Word of Mouth

Some 92 percent of consumers around the world say they trust earned media, such as word-of-mouth and recommendations from friends and family, above all other forms of advertising, an increase of 18 percent since 2007, according to a new study from Nielsen. 


You might say such attitudes account for the greater interest in earned media (stories in mass media)  and owned media (sometimes called "brand publishing"). 


Online consumer reviews are the second most trusted form of advertising with 70 percent of global consumers surveyed online indicating they trust this platform, an increase of 15 percent in four years, Nielsen says. 


Nielsen’s survey of more than 28,000 Internet respondents in 56 countries shows that 47 percent of consumers around the world say they trust paid television, magazine and newspaper ads, confidence declined by 24 percent, 20 percent and 25 percent respectively since 2009. 


Still, the majority of advertising dollars are spent on traditional or paid media, such as television. In 2011, overall global ad spend saw a seven percent increase over 2010, according to Nielsen.