When it comes to trust, personal recommendations and consumer opinions posted online are most valued by consumers worldwide. So says the latest twice-yearly Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey, which gauged opinions from 25,000 Internet consumers from 50 countries.

1. July 2009
Nielsen Global
Online Consumer Survey
Trust, Value and
Engagement
in Advertising

2. Overview
Nielsen recently surveyed over 25,000 consumers online across more than 50 markets from
Europe, Asia Pacific, the Americas and the Middle East on their attitudes toward trust, value
and engagement of advertising.
Trust and Value Engagement Trust Us
Across over 50 countries measured, a When engagement is measured by the Understanding consumer trust in
majority of online consumers surveyed ability of advertising to convey humor, advertising is as important as ever.
trust most forms of advertising and emotion and information, TV ads surpass
agree that it delivers value by promoting online video ads. • Social media are expanding consumers’
competition and supporting a wide range positive and negative influences
Of those same dimensions, consumers are regarding brands. Two-thirds of the
of media.
most receptive to the humorous qualities global Internet population visit member
Trust in advertising is up: Consumers in TV and online video ads. communities online (Source: Global
today are more trusting of every Faces and Networked Places: A Nielsen
Asian and Middle Eastern consumers
marketing channel tracked compared Report on Social Networking’s New
are the most likely to find the intended
to two years ago, save newspaper Global Footprint, March 2009).
humor in a TV ad, while Latin American
advertising, trust in which declined a
consumers are the most likely to find • Economic pressure is driving greater
marginal 3%.
informative those TV ads that are attention to ROI, and advertisers have a
Peer recommendation is the most intended so. vested interest in marketing investments,
trusted channel, trusted “completely” or underscoring the importance of trust
Latin American consumers are the most
“somewhat” by 9 out of 10 respondents and engagement in advertising like never
receptive to online video ads in terms of
worldwide. before.
all three dimensions: humor, emotion and
Of the major paid advertising channels information. Beyond earning their trust, advertisers
(online, outdoor, print, radio, TV and and media companies want consumers
theatre), television and newspaper are the to understand the value of advertising—
most trusted media. a less concrete sentiment that can broadly
Text message ads on mobile phones are affect consumer receptivity to advertising
the least trusted paid advertising channel, in all media.
winning the confidence of just 24% of
consumers globally.
Online search, banner and video ads are
trusted by fewer than half of respondents.
Latin American consumers tend to be the
most trusting of advertising, and European
consumers the least trusting.
Copyright © 2009 The Nielsen Company.
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3. Trust, value and engagement in Figure 1: Global Consumer Trust in Advertising by Channel
advertising should be measured in a
variety of ways. For the purposes of this 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
paper, Nielsen recently launched a global Recommendations from people I know 34 56 9 1
online consumer survey to measure Brand websites 13 57 26 5
Consumer opinions posted online 13 57 25 5
trust in advertising among consumers,
Editorial content such as a newspaper article 10 59 27 4
partnering with the World Federation Brand sponsorships 9 54 31 6
of Advertisers (WFA) to also examine Ads on TV 8 53 33 6
the value of advertising. This approach Ads in newspapers 7 54 34 5
succeeds in gauging general consumer Ads in magazines 6 53 36 6
Ads in radio 6 49 38 7
perceptions of advertising, while Billboards and other outdoor advertising 5 49 39 6
services such as Nielsen IAG, Nielsen’s Emails I signed up for 7 48 37 8
advertising engagement measurement Ads before movies 5 47 41 7
and consultancy, can gauge similar Ads served in search engine results 4 37 48 11
Online video ads 3 34 51 11
perceptions and engagement on an
Online banner ads 3 30 51 16
ad-by-ad, channel-by-channel basis. In Text ads on mobile phones 2 22 47 29
this paper, we discuss only the general
and global perceptions measured by the Trust completely Trust somewhat Don’t trust much Don’t trust at all
survey.
What we found is, while trust and value Figure 2: Consumer Trust in Advertising by Channel (Trust Somewhat/Completely)
perceptions can vary greatly by market 2007 vs. 2009
and media, global consumer trust in
90%
advertising is on the rise and most
78%
consumers acknowledge the value 70% 70%
advertising offers. 60% 61% 63% 61% 63%61%
56% 59%
56% 54%55% 55%
52%
In this report, we extrapolate the results 49% 49%
41%
of our recent global survey to provide 38%
34% 33%
insights into consumer trust in advertising, 26% 24%
18%
the value consumers see in advertising and
certain dimensions of engagement across
TV and online video ads, in particular.
Text ads on mobile phones
Online banner ads
Ads served in search engine results
Ads before movies
Emails I signed up for
Ads in radio
Ads in magazines
Ads in newspapers
Ads on TV
Brand sponsorships
Consumer opinions posted online
Brand websites
Recommendations from people I know
Trust in Advertising
Nielsen measured consumer trust in 16
different marketing channels by asking 2007 2009
consumers “To what extent do you trust
the following?”
Across all channels, an average 56% of
respondents indicate that they trust NB: Editorial content, billboards/outdoor advertising and online video ads not covered in April 2007 survey.
advertising “completely” or “somewhat.”
Peer recommendations top the list, editorial content and brand sponsorships most trusted media: 61% of global
trusted by 9 out of 10 consumers; while ahead of a broad list of paid advertising consumers say they trust TV advertising—
text message based ads perform the channels. This importance of peer the same percentage that trust newspaper
lowest, trusted by just 24%. recommendations and consumer opinions advertising.
online justifies the attention marketers
Across the 16 measured channels, Online and mobile advertising have
continue to pay to the use of social and
non-media channels are more trusted perhaps the steepest hill to climb for
consumer-generated media.
than paid media channels. After peer consumer trust: in addition to text
recommendations, consumers trust brand Of the paid advertising channels of online, message advertisements, online search,
websites, consumer opinions online, outdoor, newspaper, magazine, radio, TV banner and video ads are the only
and theatrical, TV and newspaper are the channels trusted by fewer than half of
Copyright © 2009 The Nielsen Company.
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4. respondents globally. The good news Figure 3: Global Trust in TV Advertising
for online is that consumer trust in that
medium is growing. The percentage of 74%
67%
global consumers trusting banner ads 62%
61%
grew 27% between 2007 and 2009
49% 51%
(from 26% to 33% of consumers). The
percentage trusting ads in search engine 39% 38%
33%
results grew 21% (from 34% to 41%
26%
of consumers).
Consumers today are more trusting of
every marketing channel tracked when
compared to two years ago, save
newspaper advertising, trust in which LA APIMEA NA EU Global Average
declined a marginal 3%. Theatrical
advertising saw the greatest growth in Trust completely/somewhat Don’t trust much at all
trust—increasing 37% since 2007,
from 38% of consumers to 52%.
Figure 4: Global Trust in Newspaper Advertising
Trust Varies by Region 75%
66%
62% 61%
Though TV and newspaper are the most
trusted advertising channels overall, 50% 50%
trust in ads across both media varies 38% 39%
considerably by region. Trust in TV 34%
25%
advertising is much higher than average in
Latin America, where 74% of consumers
trust it, and lower in Europe, where just
half (49%) trust it.
Similarly, trust in newspaper advertising, LA NA APIMEA EU Global Average
which tied as the most trusted paid
advertising vehicle globally, varies as Trust completely/somewhat Don’t trust much at all
a trusted source by region. As with TV,
Latin Americans are the most trusting of
newspaper advertising (75%), while just Figure 5: Global Trust in Online Advertising *
half of Europeans trust it.
The higher-than-average trust that Latin 64%
58% 57% 59%
American consumers exhibit for TV and 53%
newspaper advertising is consistent 47% 43%
42% 41%
across almost all measured channels. In 36%
all but one channel—“E-mails I signed up
for”—Latin American consumers are the
most likely to trust advertising; North
American consumers are the most likely
to trust such e-mails.
LA NA APIMEA EU Global Average
Trust in online advertising is only evident
among four-in-ten global consumers
Trust completely/somewhat Don’t trust much at all
(41%). But again, Latin American
consumers exhibit the highest level of * Includes search engines, email subscriptions, online banner ads and online videos.
trust (53%), whereas Europeans are the
most hesitant (36%).
Copyright © 2009 The Nielsen Company.
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5. Figure 6: Most Trusted Paid Advertising Channel by Market—Top
16
14 14
The most trusted
5
2 1
medium varies
Emails I signed Brand Ads in Ads on TV Ads in Ads on radio by market.
up for sponsorships newspapers magazines
Number of countries
* Most trusted marketing channel by market, amongst online banner and video ads, ads served in
The search engine results, outdoor, theatrical, brand sponsorships, magazine, radio, TV, newspaper and e-mail subscriptions
following tables present a further breakdown of which countries’ consumers
express the most trust in each of the paid advertising channels.
Figure 7: Territories Showing the Most Trust by Paid Advertising Channel
Theatrical Search Engine Emails
Venezuela 74% Vietnam 62% Portugal 69%
Philippines 70% Brazil 62% Brazil 67%
Brazil 69% Indonesia 57% US 67%
Colombia 69% Philippines 56% UAE 66%
South Africa 67% Venezuela 56% India 65%
Magazine TV Online Banner Ads
Venezuela 82% Colombia 82% Vietnam 67%
Colombia 79% Venezuela 80% Venezuela 62%
Brazil 76% Pakistan 78% Turkey 57%
Philippines 75% Philippines 77% Colombia 53%
Vietnam 75% Mexico 52%
Brazil 77%
South Africa 75%
Newspapers Outdoor Online Video Ads
Venezuela 81% Venezuela 71% Vietnam 63%
Pakistan 79% Philippines 69% Colombia 56%
Philippines 78% South 69% Venezuela 56%
UAE 78% Africa Brazil 54%
India 77% Pakistan 69% Philippines 53%
Brazil 77% Colombia 69%
Radio Brand Sponsorships Mobile Text Ads
South Africa 78% Colombia 80% India 43%
Venezuela 78% Venezuela 80% Venezuela 43%
Colombia 73% Brazil 79% Vietnam 42%
Brazil 72% South Africa 78% Brazil 36%
Mexico 72% Pakistan 78% Pakistan 35%
Copyright © 2009 The Nielsen Company.
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6. The Value of Advertising We asked if advertising: • Helps make a difference (through public
service advertisements)
In addition to wanting consumers to • Increases value for consumers (through
competition) • Often gets my attention and
trust advertising, advertisers and media
is entertaining
companies want them to understand • Promotes consumer choice (helping
the value that advertising provides. consumers exercise their right to choose) Globally, most consumers agree that
New this year to our study, we analyzed advertising delivers these types of value.
international perceptions of the value of • Powers economic growth (by helping Across all eight, more consumers than not
advertising. companies succeed) agree with the statements.
In partnership with the WFA, we measured • Creates jobs (through economic growth Most prominently, consumers understand
consumer perceptions on eight values for and as an industry in itself) that advertising helps to subsidize the
advertising. • Is the lifeblood of media (funding a cost of sporting and cultural events:
diverse, pluralistic media landscape) 81% of consumers agree with that
value. Consumers are less convinced
• Funds sports and culture (through of the value of advertising in providing
sponsorship) useful information on issues such as
safety and health through public service
announcements, although even here, 63%
Figure 8: Global Consumer Sentiment on Key Values of Advertising of consumers agree that it does so.
While the perception of advertising value
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% appears consistent across age and gender
Advertising and sponsorship are important to fund 22 59 10 3 6 groups, there are considerable regional
sporting events, art exhibitions and cultural events
differences, as with trust in advertising.
By helping companies succeed, advertising creates jobs
in those companies and in the advertising industry
15 65 12 2 7 The most notable regional variation is on
Advertising contributes to growth of the economy 13 58 17 3 8
the subject of advertising’s ability to help
consumers make more informed choices,
Advertising stimulates competition, which leads to
better products and lower prices 16 52 22 5 6 by providing information. Globally, two-
By providing me with information, advertising thirds of consumers agree that advertising
14 53 22 6 5
allows me to make better consumer choice
provides value this way. In Latin America,
Advertising funds low cost and free content on
the Internet, TV, newspapers and other media 14 53 18 4 11 eight out of 10 consumers agree, but only
half of European consumers do.
Advertising often gets my attention and is entertaining 13 53 21 7 5
Advertising provides useful information on important
issues in society, such as safety and health 13 50 23 7 7
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree I don’t have an opinion
Figure 9: By Providing Information, Advertising Allows for Better
Consumer Choices
82%
72% 72%
67%
50%
44%
27%
22% 21%
16%
LA APIMEA NA EU Global Average
Strongly agree/Agree Strongly disagree/Disagree
Copyright © 2009 The Nielsen Company.
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7. Engagement with
Advertising
To consider whether advertising is
achieving its intended audience
engagement, Nielsen measured general
advertising engagement with a focus
on TV ads and online video ads. Global
respondents were asked to rate their
levels of agreement with statements
on three aspects of engagement: funny,
emotionally touching, and informative.
Overall, online consumers are most
receptive to the comedic qualities in a
TV or online video ad. About six in ten of
them (59%) “strongly agree” or “agree”
that they understand the humor in TV ads
that are meant to be funny, while about
half (49%) share the same understanding
for online video ads.
Figure 10: Global Engagement with TV Ads In our survey, TV ads surpass online
49%
video ads in engagement along all three
dimensions measured. The tide may be
42%
shifting a bit, though. Recent research
36% 35% 36% by Nielsen IAG, Nielsen’s advertising
29% engagement consultancy, showed that
teens are on average 146% more likely
15%
10% 9% 11%
8% 9%
5% 3%
3%
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Funny Emotionally touching Informative
Figure 11: Global Engagement with Online Video Ads
43%
41% 41%
36%
32%
27%
20%
16%
8% 11%
6% 5% 6%
4% 4%
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Funny Emotionally touching Informative
Copyright © 2009 The Nielsen Company.
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8. to recall an advertised brand and key Figure 12: Global Comparison of Engagement (Strongly agree/Agree)
message from an in-stream ad they
have viewed during a full TV episode 59%
watched online, compared to an ad from 50% 49%
a commercial airing on linear TV (for the
44%
same brand/product). Other age groups
37%
show higher levels of recall to ads during 33%
TV shows online, too, though to a lesser
extent. The relationship and differences of
online video and linear TV ads is currently
being explored by Nielsen IAG.
Looking at differences by region, with
regard to TV ads, Asian and Middle Eastern
online consumers most often resonate TV ads Online video ads
with the intended humor (67%), while
Latin Americans are the most likely to feel Funny Emotionally touching Informative
informed (68%), both above the global
average. All three dimensions—humorous,
emotional and informative— resonate
least with Europeans.
Figure 13: Engagement with TV Ads by Region (Strongly agree/Agree)
Online video ads are the most engaging
among Latin American consumers across 67%
68%
all three aspects of measurement, at 63% 63%
60% 59%
levels solidly above the global average. 55% 52%
55%
50% 50%
Once again, Europeans register the lowest 44% 44%
in terms of the emotional qualities (22%). 42%
29%
LA NA APIMEA EU Global Average
Funny Emotionally touching Informative
Figure 14: Engagement with Online Video Ads by Region (Strongly agree/Agree)
63%
55% 55%
45% 47% 46% 49%
40% 43%
34% 37%
32% 33%
27%
22%
LA NA APIMEA EU Global Average
Funny Emotionally touching Informative
Copyright © 2009 The Nielsen Company.
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9. Conclusion Though a rising segment of consumers,
specifically teenagers, seems more
The Nielsen Global Online Consumer engaged with online video ads than TV ads,
Survey shows that consumer trust in overall consumers in our survey perceive
advertising has risen since the previous television ads to be more effective than
survey was conducted in 2007. Consumers online video ads at communicating
continue to trust the opinions of other humorous, emotionally touching and
consumers (either people they know or informative messages.
consumer opinions posted online) more
Variations in consumer trust across
than paid advertising, including online,
markets, demographics and media have
outdoor, print, radio, TV and theatrical
implications in the best way to engage
channels. Branded websites are the most
consumers in a fragmented media world.
trusted advertiser-produced medium, tied
What’s more, understanding the value
with consumer opinions online, while two
that consumers see in advertising—and
traditional media—TV and newspaper
the levels of engagement they feel—can
—are the most trusted paid media.
help marketers to best appeal to the
In addition to trust, consumer marketing interests of their audience. This
perceptions on the value of advertising paper outlines just some of the variations
are generally positive. Approximately on consumer trust and perceptions in
80% of consumers globally acknowledge advertising, but additional Nielsen insights
the value of advertising in funding art are available.
exhibitions, cultural and sporting events
and helping companies succeed and create
jobs. A lower share of consumers (67%)
recognizes the value of advertising in the
basic media model of underwriting low
cost and free content. Perceptions on
the value delivered by advertising vary
across regions, with Western European
consumers the most skeptical and Latin
American consumers viewing the value of
advertising more favorably.
Copyright © 2009 The Nielsen Company.
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10. About the Nielsen Global Online About The Nielsen Company
Consumer Survey The Nielsen Company is a global
The most recent Nielsen Global Online information and media company with
Consumer Survey was conducted by leading market positions in marketing
Nielsen Consumer Research from March and consumer information, television
19 to April 2, 2009, among 25,420 and other media measurement, online
Internet consumers over 50 markets intelligence, mobile measurement,
across Europe, Asia Pacific, North and trade shows and business publications
Latin America and the Middle East. The (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter,
largest half-yearly survey of its kind, the Adweek). The privately held company is
Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey active in more than 100 countries, with
provides insight into the opinions and headquarters in New York, USA.
preferences of Internet consumers across
the world.
For further detailed results by market or
information on advertising engagement
from Nielsen IAG, please contact
Stephan.Goldsand@nielsen.com.
For more information visit www.nielsen.com
Copyright © 2009 The Nielsen Company.
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