Nielsen Study Reveals Who Trusts What in Advertising

Nielsen has launched the results of a global study into trust in advertising, designed to uncover consumer opinions on advertising globally. The study found that trust differs by age, who is in the adverts—with sports personalities fairing the best—and the impact of influencers. It also uncovered the subject matters that resonate most with consumers.

The study was undertaken with 40,000 individuals during August and September 2021 across EMEA, Asia Pacific, North America, and Latin America. It is part of a media research survey undertaken by Nielsen to better understand the advertising landscape, to help advertisers and businesses shape more effective advertising.

Key findings globally (see footnote for geographic break-out of data):

• Millennials (25-40) and Gen X (41-56) trust advertising the most. Those aged 65+, followed by Gen Z (15-24) and Boomers (57-66) have the least trust
• Men and women globally have similar overall levels of trust in advertising
• 89% of people most trust recommendations from people they know (word of mouth)
• Trust levels vary depending on industry type, with tobacco ads as the least trusted
• Brand sponsorship at sporting events ranked third-most trusted channel, with 81% either completely or somewhat trusting this channel
• 23% of people trust ads from influencers. Advertising and opinions about brands and products were less trusted when delivered via an influencer
• Generally, humorous ads resonate more than ads that are action, sports, kids, car, sentimental, competitive, athletic or celebrity-based. Exceptions include Korea and Saudi Arabia
• Health themes, real-life situations and value-orientated ads also resonate more than those themed as sexual, car, competitive or sports.

The survey addressed the following topics:

• Expression toward advertising
• Comparisons of trust on earned vs. owned media and paid traditional vs. paid online/mobile
• How trust translates into action
• The types of advertising that resonate the most
• Types of advertising most trusted by category, and activities that consumers are ‘open to’ from advertisers.

Cathy Heeley, International Media Analytics Lead, Nielsen, commented: “This research gives us in-depth insight into consumer perception around levels of trust in media channels as well as into the types of messaging that resonates most. It comes as no surprise we all trust personal recommendations above and beyond any other channel. Human to human trust is fundamental to daily life. It is also no great surprise that over 78% of people trust ads on TV. Across the world people believe that ads on TV are run by legitimate businesses and so these are given credence over some of the newer forms of advertising.
“When it comes to messaging we see that humor is an important factor and it ranks third in terms of messaging that most resonates. However, given the challenges that we are experiencing the world over we are seeing that advertising messages need to be credible and depict real life. Health shines through as key in today's world, but a bit of humor also helps.
“By exploring these key elements we can help advertisers and media owners better understand the drivers of trust and mistrust in advertising, better supporting them in defining content and audience strategies.”
Paige Sontag Director, Client Strategy Nielsen Canada said: “It is essential for marketers to hone in on the key influencing factors that have the greatest impact on Canadians' trust in advertising. From this research we know only 59% of Canadians trust the advertising that reached them completely or somewhat - a lower percentage than other global markets. When it comes to effective marketing in Canada, Canadians most trust recommendations from people they know, emails they signed up for, editorial content (such as newspapers), and branded websites. The message behind the advertising also has a direct and important impact on effectiveness. In Canada the messages that resonate most are based in humor, real-life situations, and value-oriented campaigns.”

For further details about Nielsen please visit: www.nielsen.com, and click here for more details about the 2021 Trust in Advertising Study.

About Nielsen: Nielsen shapes the world’s media and content as a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their audiences—now and into the future. Learn more at www.nielsen.com or www.nielsen.com/investors and connect with us on social media.