10 November 2006 - Hotwire Ipsos MORI survey - Hotwire warns against blind corporate blogging frenzy in response to growing power of blogs. Blogs are becoming a most influential source of information across Europe, according to Hotwire / Ipsos MORI research released today, with more than 25 million adults in Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain having changed their minds about a company or its products after reading comments or reviews on a blog.

The direct link between user-generated content and people’s intentions to purchase a product or service is highlighted by the new research⁽¹⁾ which found that a third (34%) of Europeans say they have not purchased a product after reading comments on the internet from customers or other private individuals.

Other key findings from the research include:
- Blogs are now a near second to newspapers as the most trusted information source: A quarter (24%) of Europeans consider blogs a trusted source of information, still behind newspaper articles (30%), but ahead of television advertising (17%) and email marketing (14%).
- High spenders are most trusting of blogs: Of those who spend more than 145€ (£100) online every month, the proportion of people who trust blogs rises to 30%.
- France leads European blogging; Britain lags: Across Europe, six out of ten (61%) internet users have heard of blogging, and one in six (17%), have read a blog. France is the most blog-savvy country in Europe, with 90% of respondents familiar with blogs. The British are the least blog-aware, with only 50% having heard the term. In Germany, 55% have heard of blogs, 58% in Italy and 51% in Spain.
- Blogs are now driving purchase decisions: More than half (52%) of Europeans polled said that they were more likely to purchase a product if they had read positive comments from private individuals on the internet. 
- They also block purchases: Nearly 40 million Europeans have not bought something after reading comments posted online.

Gareth Deere, head of technology research, Ipsos MORI said, “We all trust people’s opinions in the real world. Now we’ve proven the same link online, and it’s having a major impact on people’s buying behaviour.  Word of mouth is no longer restricted to close friends and family, it can have the same level of influence upon millions of people across the world.”

Brendon Craigie, Hotwire’s UK regional director, warned against companies taking these findings and rushing blindly to target bloggers.
“People trust blogs almost as much as they trust newspapers, so their influence is impossible to ignore. But blog campaigns must be thoroughly researched, well planned, monitored and measured. Not all blogs are equal, just as not all newspapers or magazines are equal, so companies can waste a lot of time and money by rushing into a blogging frenzy without appropriate preparation,” said Brendon Craigie.

(1) Based on research conducted by Ipsos MORI in Europe. The research polled a representative sample of 2,214 adults aged 15+, in Great Britain (526), France (440), Germany (485), Italy (378) and Spain (385), who use the internet either at home, at work or elsewhere. Interviews were conducted face-to-face at their homes during September 2006, using the Ipsos Capibus services.

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About Hotwire
Hotwire is a European technology public relations consultancy established to provide the technology industry with progressive PR services.
Since its foundation, Hotwire has won a number of prestigious awards across Europe.  In November 2005, the company was named as European Technology Agency of the Year by the Holmes Report.  Hotwire has also been awarded ‘Best IT PR Company’ at the Computing Industry Awards, the French Public Relations Top Com d’Or Trophée in the Corporate Business category, and the International Public Relations Association’s Best Business-to-Business Campaign for its work with Scottish telecoms company THUS.
The company has six client practice areas: applications & services, banking & finance, consumer, digital media, enterprise & electronics and telecommunications. It has offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid and Milan.

About Ipsos MORI
Ipsos MORI is the sum total of two successful research companies, Ipsos UK and MORI, which joined together in October 2005 to create the second largest research company in the UK. With a focus on Marketing, Advertising, Media, Loyalty, Social Research and Corporate Reputation, the company’s 850+ staff offer a full range of quantitative and qualitative research services, as well as extensive international research capacity thanks to strong links with Ipsos companies around the globe. Working with hundreds of clients in both the private and public sectors, Ipsos MORI embraces both traditional and innovative research methods.

About Ipsos
With more than 5,000 clients, offices in 44 countries and  employing over 6,000 staff Ipsos is the third largest global survey-based research company in the world. The company focuses on five core specializations.  Exploring market potential and market trends. Testing product and advertising. Helping clients build long term relationship with customers. Studying audiences and their perceptions of various media. Measuring public opinion trends around the globe. Ipsos was founded in 1975 and was listed on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1999.