UAE customers trust feedback of online community

Dubai: Recommendations by personal acquaintances and opinions posted by consumers online are the most trusted forms of advertising globally and in the UAE, according to the latest bi-annual Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey of over 25,000 internet consumers from 50 countries.

The Nielsen survey shows that 90 per cent of internet consumers worldwide trust recommendations from people they know, whilst 70 per cent trust consumer opinions posted online.

In the UAE, the survey shows 95 per cent of internet consumers trust recommendations from people they know, making word of mouth the most trusted medium.

Editorial content came in second place, with 84 per cent of UAE respondents trusting it completely or somewhat, ahead of newspaper advertisements (78 per cent), brand websites (72 per cent), brand sponsorships (68 per cent) and consumer opinions posted online (66 per cent).

Magazine ads, billboards and other outdoor media, radio ads, ads before movies and on television came next on the UAE list.

The forms of advertising least likely to elicit a degree of trust from UAE-based audiences were text ads on mobile phones, with 70 per cent either not trusting them; online banner ads (65 per cent); and ads generated by search engine results (61 per cent).

"The explosion in Consumer Generated Media over the last couple of years - we are now tracking over 100 million CGM sources - means consumers' reliance on word of mouth in the decision-making process, either from people they know or online consumers they don't, has increased significantly," says Jonathan Carson, president of Online International, representing the Nielsen Company.

"However, we see that all forms of advertiser-led advertising, except ads in newspapers, have also experienced increases in levels of trust and it's possible that the CGM revolution has forced advertisers to use a more realistic form of messaging that is grounded in the experience of consumers rather than the lofty ideals of the advertisers."

In the new age of consumer control, regional advertisers will be encouraged by the fact that brand websites and brand sponsorships are quickly catching up to newspaper advertising - the most trusted form of advertiser-led advertising in the UAE.

Globally, the UAE was ranked 16th among most nations favourable towards brand sponsorships, 18th most favourable towards brand websites and 31st for trusting consumer opinions online. A total of 50 countries were surveyed.

"The regional differences provide a clear guide to advertisers as to how they should focus their ad strategy in different countries. It also shows that, despite the authority of word of mouth when it comes to consumer decision-making, advertisers still have a major say in the process," Carson said.