Our latest Snapshots survey looks at how social media affects how consumers perceive and interact with companies and brands.

1. Social Media & Its Importance For Brands
September 2015

2. 3. Introduction
4. Key Points
5. Conclusions
7. Frequency Of Using Social Media
8. Interacting With Consumers
10. Types Of Company Ever Liked/Followed On Social Media
11. Types Of Company Unlikely to Follow/Like On Social Media
12. Using Social Media To Obtain Information Or Support
13. Preferred Method Of Contacting A Company
14. Turning Consumers Off
15. The Influence Of Social Media On Purchasing Behaviour
17. Customer Closeness
18. Complaints & Feedback
20. Getting Involved
21. The Future
Contents

3. From advertisements on Facebook and Twitter, to celebrity
endorsements of brands on Instagram, to displaying products
on Pinterest boards, it’s clear that businesses are taking
advantage of a wide range of social media opportunities in
order to connect with customers.
With this in mind, McCallum Layton first conducted a
Snapshots study in 2014 to understand how UK consumers
perceive the growth of this relatively new phenomenon
and identify the impact it has had on the way they view and
interact with companies and brands.
This report shows the results of the second wave of this study
conducted in 2015. As with all our Snapshot surveys, this will
be repeated annually to track changes over time.
Interviews were conducted online with 402 UK adults (over 18)
who use social media platforms at least every 3 months. Our
sample was nationally representative by age and gender.
Introduction
3

4. • Facebook is by far the most popular social media platform with 60% using it on a daily basis,
followed by YouTube (23%) and Twitter (21%). Reflecting this, consumers are far more inclined
to ‘like’ a company/brand on Facebook (53%) than to follow one on Twitter (26%).
• There is a strong connection between liking/following a company brand on these social
media platforms and propensity to buy from /recommend them – especially amongst
18-34 year olds.
• The main motives for liking/following companies or brands on Facebook or Twitter is to
receive offers/competitions, or to keep up to date with the latest news about them.
• Around two-fifths would be likely to refer to comments on Facebook if seeking
reassurance about a company before buying from it, and around a quarter would look at
comments on Twitter.
• Around a fifth have interacted with a brand or company as a result of seeing a Facebook
page or Twitter handle on television.
• Overall , 36% of consumers are likely to use social media to obtain information or support from
a company. Amongst 18-34s the proportion is far higher at 58%. However, only 16% overall
(23% of 18-34s) would prefer to use social media to contact a company – email is the most
favoured method of contact.
• Around one in two consumers are likely to share a positive or a negative experience of a
company or brand through social media, with 18-34s especially inclined to do so.
• The majority (58%) would be interested in contributing through social media activity to a
company’s NPD process; the level of interest amongst 18-34s is particularly high at 81%.
• Two thirds believe that the degree to which they interact with companies/brands through social
media will not change in the next 12 months whilst 29% anticipate that it will increase.
Key Points
4

5. When Facebook was launched by Mark Zuckerberg in February
2004, no-one could have envisaged the impact that social media
would have, not only on the way we conduct our personal
relationships, but also on the business world. Facebook recently
announced that it had recorded a billion users on a single
day – equal to a staggering 1 in 7 people in the world! Few
organisations can therefore afford to ignore the power that social
media exerts on today’s consumer. Our survey shows that not
only does social media have a strong direct influence on people’s
propensity to purchase from or recommend a company or brand,
it also has a more subtle but no less important role in terms of
enhancing a company’s or brand’s image and reputation, and
promoting that all elusive feeling of emotional attachment.
The omniprescence of Facebook is not surprisingly reflected in our
survey results, but what is of interest is how quickly some of the
newer sites seem to be growing; Pinterest which was launched
around five years ago was used by around one in three people in
our study – and one in two 18-34 year olds – and around one in five
claimed to use Vine which has only been in existence for a couple
of years. Astute organisations should be keeping an eye on these
up and coming platforms and should consider incorporating them
into their social media strategy – especially if their brand is one
which seeks to attract the younger generation and ‘cool kids’ .
Conclusions (1 of 2)
5

6. Social media content from brands in the food and grocery, fashion,
and health and beauty sectors along with that from supermarkets
is most appealing, whilst content from financial organisations and
utilities is of least interest. More than likely this is at least in part
due to the fact that many people are motivated to like or follow
companies in order to receive special offers or competitions – such
offerings from the former types of organisation are generally more
likely to be of relevance and interest than those from the latter.
Again, financial institutions, utilities and other service organsiations
may benefit from taking advantage of some of the newer platforms,
which allow companies to connect more with customers/potential
customers without having to be so focused on incentives - for
example Petplan insurance maintains pinboards with tips and hints
aimed at pet lovers, and has done an excellent job of relating its
messaging to an overall strategic goal.
Results from our 2015 survey are broadly in line with those
recorded last year – however one potentially interesting shift is a
significant fall in the percentage who believe they will interact more
with companies and brands through social media over the next
12 months (from 29% in 2014 to 22% this year). Could this be an
indication that the growth rate of social media is starting to slow?
Perhaps rather than using social media per se more frequently,
people will start to diversify more in terms of the platforms they
use. It will be interesting to see whether when we carry out our
2016 survey this decrease is simply a blip, or indeed the start of
an on-going trend signifying that the market is on the road to
saturation with new entrants growing at the expense of more
established players.
Conclusions (2 of 2)
6

7. Facebook is the most frequently used social media platform – it is accessed on a daily basis by almost three times as many people as either
YouTube or Twitter. Not surprisingly, younger respondents (18-34s) are generally significantly more likely than older people to be regular users of
each of the platforms. However, Facebook appeals to all age groups, with even 48% of over 55+s using it on a daily basis. It is also popular with
both genders – although a higher proportion of females than males use Facebook daily (69% compared to 51% of men).
Frequency Of Using Social Media
7
Cumulative frequency of using social media platforms
Around 1 in 3 have ‘ever’
used Pinterest or Instagram,
and around 1 in 5 have
‘ever’ used Vine, Snapchat
or Tumblr. Fewer than 1
in 6 have used Myspace.
Periscope was the least
popular platform with
around 1 in 10 people saying
they had used it
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Ever
Base: all respondents: total (n=402)
80%
68%
53%
23
%
51%
45%
38%
21
%
94%
90%
60%
83%

8. Around three-fifths (62%) of social network users have ‘liked’ a company on Facebook and around 1 in 5 (21%) have followed a company
on Twitter. Usage of both is more prevalent amongst younger people, but a relatively high proportion of over 55s – 47% - have ‘liked’ a
company on Facebook.
Significantly lower than 2014Base: all respondents: total (n=402)
Interacting With Consumers (1 of 2)
Proportion who like/follow companies on social media
8
40%
18-34s
71%
30%
35-54s
58%53%
26%
Total sample
9%
Over 55s
34%

9. Interacting With Consumers (2 of 2)
Reasons for liking/following companies on social media
31%
To receive offers/competitions69% 68%
To keep up to date with the latest news about them62% 68%
To receive more info related to my personal interests48% 63%
I just like their content 24%
As a mark of my interest/loyalty34% 34%
To show other people I like them26% 18%
Receiving offers/competitions and keeping up to date with the latest news are the main reasons why consumers like or follow companies or
brands on social media.
9
NB The code ‘I just like their content’ was added to the 2015 questionnaire meaning results cannot validly be compared to those from last year’s survey
Base: all respondents who liked/followed a company on social media: Facebook (n=215), Twitter (n=104)

10. Manufacturers/sellers of consumer goods (food/grocery, fashion, health & beauty, etc..) tend to be liked/followed more than service
providers (charities, travel, telecoms, etc.). Whilst females are significantly more likely than males to have liked/followed a fashion, health
and beauty or charitable organisation, the opposite is true in relation to banks/building societies (mentioned by 6% of females compared to
13% of male respondents).
Types Of Company Ever Liked/Followed On Social Media
10
Food/Grocery1 28%
Fashion 2= 25%
Health & Beauty 2= 25%
Charities/Good Causes 21% 5=
Supermarkets4 24%
Travel/Holiday 5= 21%
Newspapers/Magazines7 18%
Electronics8 17%
Telecommunications9 12%
Utilities 7%11
Banks/Building Societies10 10%
Loan Companies12 2% Base: all respondents: total (n=402)
36% overall (ranging
from 17% of 18-34s to
55% of 55+ year olds)
have not followed/
liked any company or
brand on social media.
Rank %

11. Financial institutions such as loan companies and banks/building societies, along with utility suppliers are the least likely types of
organisation to be followed/liked on social media.
Types Of Company Unlikely To Follow/Like On Social Media
11
Loan Companies1 61%
Banks/Building Societies 2= 42%
Utilities 2= 42%
Travel/Holiday 27% 5=
Telecommunications4 33%
Newspapers/magazines 5= 27%
Fashion 5= 27%
Charities 8= 26%
Electronics 8= 26%
Health & Beauty 25%11
Supermarkets 8= 26%
Food/Grocery12 22% Base: all respondents: total (n=402)
Rank %

12. There is unlikely to be
any recovery in the
housing market this year
– many people are still
deterred from moving
due to the economic
Using Social Media To Obtain Information Or Support
This was a new question on the 2015 survey. Just over a third of consumers are likely to use social media to obtain information or support
from a company. Propensity to do so decreases with age (58% of 18-34s vs just 18% of 55+ year olds) and is slightly higher amongst females
than males (41% compared to 32%). Half of those likely to use social media in this way believe they are more likely to receive a response as a
result.
12
14
29
26
24
19
14
12
9
7
Total respondents
Very likely
Total likely
Total unlikely
Quite likely
Quite unlikely
Very unlikely
Total respondents 63%
36%
9%
27%
30%
33%
Base: all respondents: total (n=402)

13. There is unlikely to be
any recovery in the
housing market this year
– many people are still
deterred from moving
due to the economic
Preferred Method Of Contacting A Company
Amongst those who would use social media to contact a company for information or support, email is the method which is most likely to be
used (36%), followed by telephone (24%), and then social media (16%) and web chat (15%). Males are more than twice as likely as females
to prefer to talk to someone (36% vs 15%) and 18-34 year olds are more inclined than older consumers to prefer to use social media (23% vs
9%).
13
Base: all respondents likely to contact a company via social media to get information/support (n=146)
Email
Social Media Web chat
Telephone
LetterFill in form online
36%
16%
5% 3%
15%
24%

14. Almost two-fifths (38%) of those who have ever liked a company
on Facebook have ‘unliked’ one or more companies or brands;
the proportion is significantly higher amongst 18-34s than older
consumers (58% compared to just 17% of the 55+ age group). A
similar percentage (37%) of those who have ever followed a
company/brand on Twitter have unfollowed one or more. Amongst
18-34s the likelihood of unfollowing companies or brands has risen
significantly since 2014 (from 27% to 52%).
Turning Consumers Off
14
Reasons for unliking a company on Facebook*
* NB Base sizes are too low to show reasons for unfollowing a company on Twitter but they are broadly the same as reasons for unliking a company on Facebook.
52%
44%
22%
18%
Posts too frequent
Posts not interesting
Offers not attractive enough
Offers not frequent enough
Base Facebook = 89

15. A third of respondents believe that the growth of social media has made them more likely to shop around for goods and services, which is
not significantly different to the 2014 result. The proportion who think it has had a positive influence in this respect is higher amongst 18-
34s than older consumers (53% vs 21% of the 55+ group). In 2015 it is also significantly higher amongst females than males; the figure for
females at 40% is very similar to last year but the 28% of men who are more likely to shop around due to social media is significantly lower
than last year’s result of 41%.
Reviews on forums are by far the main method by which consumers seek reassurance about companies before buying from them. Overall
results on this question are not significantly different to those from the 2014 survey.
The Influence Of Social Media On Purchasing Behaviour
(1 of 2)
15
Likelihood (very likely/quite likely) of using the following for reassurance on a company
Reviews on forums Company’s own website Comments on Facebook Comments on Twitter
73% 54% 44% 27%
Base: all respondents: total (n=402)

16. As in the last survey, the link between liking/following a company and propensity to buy from it or recommend it to friends and family is very
apparent; interestingly compared to last year there is a significant increase in the % saying they are much more inclined to recommend a
company that they follow on Facebook (27% vs 19% in 2014). In line with previous findings, 18-34s are far more likely than older consumers
to admit to being influenced by these social media platforms.
The Influence Of Social Media On Purchasing Behaviour
(2 of 2)
16
Base: all respondents who liked/followed a company on social media: Facebook (n=215), Twitter (n=104)
Around two-fifths
of 18-34s who like
a company/brand
on Facebook claim
to be much more
inclined to buy from/
recommend it as a
result
33
27
35
25
43
42
43
45
24
31
22
31
much
more
likely
slightly
more
likely
no
more
likely
Like a
company on
Likelihood to buy
Likelihood to recommend
Like a
company on
Follow a
company on
Follow a
company on
Significantly higher than 2014
Significantly lower than 2014
% % %
%%%
% % %
%%%

17. The importance of social media in terms of enhancing an organisation’s relationships with customers is highlighted by the responses to the
statements below.
Around two fifths agree that companies which have a strong social media presence know their customers better, that social media allows
customers to get more of a feel for a company’s brand/personality, and that companies that invest in social media are likely to be more open
and honest. Results are broadly in line with those from the 2014 survey.
The level of agreement with each statement is significantly higher amongst 18-34s than older consumers.
Customer Closeness
17
Companies which have a strong social media presence know their customers better
Social media allows me to get more of a feel for a company’s brand’s/personality
Companies with a strong social media presence are more open & honest
Comments posted on social media sites strongly influence my opinions of companies & brands
A strong social media presence increases the extent to which I trust a company or brand
I feel more emotionally attached to a company or brand as a result of its social media activity
Extent
to which
respondents
agree that….
44%
41%
25%
39%
33%
33%
Base: all respondents: total (n=402)

18. There is a high degree of willingness amongst consumers to share their
experiences of a brand through social media; around 1 in 2 people are likely
to share positive experiences and a very similar proportion are inclined to
share negative ones. Overall results are very similar to those from the 2014
survey.
Complaints & Feedback (1 of 2)
18
52%
75%
56%
28%
49%
68%
52%
29%
Likelihood
of sharing
a positive
experience
Total
respondents
Total
respondents
18-34
18-34
35-54
35-54
55+
55+
Likelihood
of sharing
a negative
experience
Base: all respondents: total (n=402)

19. Over two-fifths (45%) of consumers feel that companies take complaints more seriously when posted on social media websites than if made
directly to them, and around a third (31%) are more likely to let a company know they are dissatisfied if they can do so through Twitter
or Facebook – both of which are very similar to their respective 2014 results. In each case 18-34s are significantly more likely than older
consumers to be of this opinion, as are females compared to males.
19
Complaints & Feedback (2 of 2)
Base: all respondents: total (n=402)
Agreement: Companies takes complaints more seriously
Agreement: More likely to say I’m dissatisfied
16%
29%
35%
12%
9%
Agree strongly Agree slightly Neither agree nor disagree Disagree
slightly
Disagree
strongly
Disagree
slightly
9%
22%
30%
26%
13%
Agree
strongly
Agree slightly Neither agree nor disagree Disagree strongly
Respondents were asked the extent to which they agreed with the following statements:-
‘I feel that companies take complaints more seriously if they’re posted on social media websites then if made directly to them’
‘I’m more likely to let a company know I’m dissatisfied if I can contact them though Twitter or Facebook than if I went to their customer
service’

20. Whilst only a minority – 18% - have been involved with a
company’s NPD process through social media, almost three-fifths
overall (and 81% of 18-34s) claim they would be interested in
contributing in this way in the future.
Compared to last year there has been a significant increase in the
proportion who are not at all interested (from 15% to 23%) which is
driven by 55+ year olds (25% in 2014 vs 43% this year).
Getting Involved
12
Base: all respondents (n=402)
19% Not very interested 41% Quite interested
23% Not at all
interested
17% Very interested
19% have interacted
with a brand or
company as a result
of seeing a Facebook
page or Twitter handle
on television
20
Interest in
contributing
through social
media activity to
a company’s NPD
process

21. As in 2014, the majority of consumers do not think that the extent to which they interact with companies/brands through social media will
change over the next 12 months . However almost 1 in 3 expect such activity to increase with 18-34s being especially likely to be of this
opinion (41% vs just 16% of the 55 age group).
The Future
21
Increase slightly
Remain the same
Decrease
Increase greatly
Will your interaction with brands/companies through
social media change over the next 12 months?
Significantly higher than 2014
Significantly lower than 2014
Base: all respondents (n=402)
Interestingly, the proportion believing they will interact more over the next 12 months fell
to 29% from 39% in 2014, which is largely driven by 55+ year olds.
7%
22%
68%
2%

22. McCallum Layton
Bramley Grange
Skeltons Lane
Thorner
Leeds
LS14 3DW
Tel. +44 (0)113 237 5590
Fax. +44 (0)113 237 5599
www.mccallum-layton.co.uk
Please contact us if you have any queries on this report, or to find out more about our services.
We offer a full range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies plus:
- Strategy Surgeries: to understand the strategic implications of your insight
- Insight Action Audits: to ensure your insight is driven to the heart of your business
- Advanced Analytics: to derive maximum value from your data
- MLTV: to disseminate your insight to key audiences in a powerful and engaging manner
Matt Counsell
Head of Quantitative Research
mattcounsell@mccallum-layton.co.uk