Study: Shoppers don't trust traditional marketing

There is new data out that indicates traditional marketing methods - TV/radio/print advertising - are not building trust with consumers. In fact, the data indicates there is a large disconnect between what brands believe is happening with their advertising and what their customers think.

by Kristina Knight

Researchers with Experticity surveyed brands and customer to see how they are engaging and nearly across the board marketers reported their traditional marketing strategies were fine-tuned to their customers' wants. However, customers report something else.

According to shoppers advertising falls lower on the list of things that influence them than just about anything else. Most (72%) say friends and family are their biggest purchase influencers followed by online reviews (72%) and third-party experts (61%).

"Consumers clearly value interactions with credible, trustworthy people much more than traditional advertisements,"said Tom Stockham, CEO of Experticity. "Across the board, marketers are overvaluing traditional advertising and not placing nearly enough emphasis on actual people who, it turns out, are what actually impact consumers most. Consumer trust is the most powerful asset marketers have when working to influence purchases, yet trust in traditional marketing tactics is overwhelmingly low. It¹s vital that brands engage with customers in ways that build trust instead of breaking it down."

Some interesting takeaways from the report include:

• 83% of brands report traditional marketing efforts is the 'most influential' with customers
• 82% of brands report social media is at least 'somewhat effective' as an influencer
• About three-quarters of brands reported their company is 'extremely skilled' with the majority of marketing options

Image via Shutterstock

Tags: advertising, advertising trends, ecommerce, ecommerce trends, Experticity, trust building