We as consumers trust traditional media more than digital, though radio falls far behind television in such trust.
At least that’s the conclusion of a survey of 24,000 local media users in North America by Triton Digital, a radio service provider managed by investment firm Oaktree Capital Management.
When it comes to news and information, “Television was rated the most trusted medium by respondents (45%) followed by newspapers (20%) and radio (18%),” the company said. “The Immediate Insights survey found that digital (13%) and social media (4%) were the least trusted media sources.”
According to the company, traditional media remain a “powerful influence” in influencing purchasing. “Nearly 64% of consumers admitted to buying a product after seeing it advertised via TV, radio or newspapers. Again, Internet advertising lagged. “
However, “Where the Internet shines is with engaged consumers: The single biggest influencer of direct purchases was research on the Internet.” The survey said 64% of consumers said they’d made a purchase after seeing it advertised on television, radio or in a newspaper, but they trusted their own Internet research more than ads in those media. Recommendation engines scored low.
Concludes the company’s Jim Kerr in a summary, “While digital media continues to explode in popularity and affect traditional media usage, the underlying trust of media consumers toward digital compared to traditional media are not yet equal. Similarly, traditional media advertising continues to prove effective and more likely to influence purchase decisions than digital ads.”
Results are summarized here (PDF).
