Organizations Using Twitter Viewed as More Trustworthy

When it comes to driving consumer decisions about a range of products and services, the Internet is by far the most influential media channel — but marketers have yet to capitalize on that influence. That is the central finding of the 2010 Digital Influence Index, released today by Fleishman-Hillard International Communications in conjunction with Harris Interactive.
The study also measures several key aspects of consumers’ use of the Internet, from media consumption patterns, to the degree of adoption of various digital behaviors, to involvement with online social networking. Now in its second year, the Index has expanded to include 48 percent of the global online population, spanning France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Japan and the United States.

“Our survey provides overwhelming evidence that the Internet is at the center of the decision-making process of consumers,” said Dave Senay, Fleishman-Hillard president and chief executive officer. “It suggests, definitively, that marketers who do not have end-to-end strategies which put digital influence at the center of their marketing plans are doing so at their own peril. Marketers who ‘get it’ will be able to leapfrog their competitors who don’t.”
The Digital Influence Index reveals the following nine key insights into the Internet’s global influence on consumers’ lives:

1. Funding Gap: Globally, digital dominates in influence but not marketing dollars spent. The Internet is by far the most important medium in the lives of consumers, but companies continue to underinvest in their online marketing efforts.
2. On the Edge: Chinese Internet users are more advanced, but are early adopters, with room to grow. Although the Internet is the most important medium in all countries, it plays an even more critical role in China, home to the world’s largest and fastest-growing population of online consumers.
3. Beyond Mainstream: Digital is core to decisions — for research, purchases and peer influence. The Internet plays an integral role in the decision-making process.
4. Too Much Information (TMI): Online oversharing of personal information isn’t just a bore, but a rising threat, as well. As more users embrace social media and generate content, a consensus is emerging — people share too much personal information, and too little of it is particularly interesting.
5. Cautiously Trusting: People trust the Internet most when they have multiple sources — and a friend is one of them.
6. Pay to Play Doesn’t Play: Trust in bloggers for hire remains weak. Across all countries studied, Internet users report a lack of trust in content produced by sponsored or paid bloggers.
7. Real-Time Trust: Microbloggers trust companies that listen and respond in real time. Users who have adopted microblogging tend to trust companies that monitor their online activity. They seem to view this online listening as a sign that organizations care about their needs and want their feedback. Indeed, 75 percent of people surveyed said they view companies that microblog — sending short, frequent messages on sites like Twitter or status updates on social networks like Facebook — as more deserving of their trust than those that do not.
8. Mobility Gap: As apps multiply and speeds increase, mobile users snap up smartphones — but realize only a fraction of their potential. Although mobile Internet use is growing, a significant gap exists between the capabilities available to mobile phone users and the number of individuals who actually take advantage of them.
9. Where to From Here?: As Internet use continues to grow, will its influence grow, too? Depends who you ask. As important as the Internet is now, will its consumer influence continue to grow in the future? The answer varies from country to country … but in China it is a resounding “yes!”