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In September 2006 Ipsos MORI conducted a pan-European study aimed at providing strategic insight for marketing communications professionals on the current and future influence of user generated content on blogs. In addition, Hotwire analysed how blogs can be incorporated into a company’s PR strategy.
In November and December 2006, Hotwire held seminars in London, Munich, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan and Madrid to present the results of the study to the industry. The overwhelming response has proven that blogging and how to engage in it is a hot issue for technology players, whether they are blue chips or rising stars. Companies attending the seminars found the analysis and advice critical to their communication strategy.
The Hotwire-Ipsos MORI survey researched the influence that blogs had on purchasing decisions, and found that blogs and user generated content did influence people’s intentions to purchase a product. It also found, that the influence of user generated content is changing the importance of newspapers as a source of trusted information:
- ● 31 percent of European internet users trust other people online, and price comparison web sites such as Kelkoo and Dooyoo.
- ● A quarter of Europeans consider blogs a trusted source of information, still behind newspaper articles, but ahead of television advertising.
- ● And 56 percent would buy a product if they find positive comments about it online.
"The influence of blogs and user generated content on purchasing decisions is obvious", says Hotwire. "The trust in user generated content is very high and challenges newspapers as trustworthy sources of information."
Technology, marketing and business journalists across Europe were also very interested in the topic and the media picked the story up. Examples of coverage generated by the story include:
United Kingdom
More than 200 pieces of coverage in the UK national and regional newspapers, PR and marketing press, and a fantastic interview with Brendon Craigie UK regional director on BBC News 24. Highlights include: o BBC News 24 (Video Clip Screen Shot can be provided) o Reuters worldwide (175+ pieces of coverage) "Blogs are becoming a force to be reckoned with as a means of advertising products, according to a survey. Blogs, or weblogs, are a more trusted source of information (24 percent) than television advertising (17 percent) and email marketing (14 percent), the survey commissioned by Hotwire, a technology public relations consultancy said"
For a full copy of the story, please click here. o Mad.co.uk In an article entitled, ‘Blogging: it's a trust issue’, Brendon Craigie commented, "Terms like ‘user generated content’ and ’blogosphere’ have invariably confounded, scared and excited those of us in the marketing and communications industry. An unchecked, seemingly uncontrollable phenomenon has arisen and the communications industry as a whole has not been quite sure how to deal with it.
“Perhaps the best way for companies to view the blogging world is for it to be perceived as an early warning system. After all, companies spend tens of thousands of pounds every single day to gain feedback on their products or services, and here you have a community of 115 million (and growing) consumers feeding back their likes, dislikes and commenting on every little nuance of your products and services. Blogs cannot be wiped out, and though they can be ignored, to do so could be perilous. This study shows that the conversation will continue - and grow - with or without the "deliberate" participation of the brands."
For a full copy of the story, please click here. o Marketing Week Following the success of the Hotwire Ipsos MORI Blogging survey UK regional director, Brendon Craigie drafted an article for Marketing Week entitled ‘Brits don’t buy the brand blog’ (23.11.06) in which he discussed the increasing prevalence and use of blogs, along with the varying levels of awareness in different parts of Europe. With 91% awareness among internet users, France was revealed as the most ‘blog savvy’ nation in Europe compared with 61% awareness across Europe as a whole. In the article Brendon warned against a blind rush to target bloggers. Although people trust blogs almost as much as newspapers, he stressed the need for a thorough, well researched and planned approach to any campaign targeted at the ‘blogosphere‘. For a full copy of the story, please click here. o PR Week "Britons are lagging behind their European cousins when it comes to awareness of blogging with only one in two adults having heard of the concept research by Ipsos MORI has found. The research - commissioned by technology agency Hotwire - found people are increasingly trusting blogs: 30 per cent of those polled considered newspapers to be their most trusted media but 24 percent favoured blogs."
For a full copy of the story, please click here.
Germany
Nearly one third of German internet users decided not to buy a product after reading negative comments about it on a blog. The Ipsos survey generated huge interest in the German media. There were numerous pieces of coverage in business and regional newspapers, and marketing, PR and technology publications, including: o Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung ”Bloggers are faster than PR departments”. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany’s most important daily newspaper, reported on the survey by Ipsos and Hotwire which analysed the influence that blogs have on purchasing decisions. Nearly every fourth internet user in Germany trusts comments about products published on blogs and websites. The publication quotes Robert Kerschensteiner, director at Hotwire: “From blogs, enterprises receive faster and more direct customer feedback. However, they have to keep in mind that they loose control of their communications.”
O Handelsblatt ”Listening carefully to the customer”. Handelsblatt, Germany’s number one daily business newspaper, reported on the survey by Ipsos and Hotwire. The publication covered the survey online and in print. The study states that blogs and user generated content influence people’s intention to purchase a product. Nearly every third German online user decided not to buy a product after reading negative comments about it on a blog. Nevertheless, Hotwire director Robert Kerschensteiner advises enterprises to be very careful not to manipulate blogs with covert comments. o Wirtschaftswoche ”Blogs have more influence”. Wirtschaftswoche, Germany’s number one weekly business magazine, also covered the survey by Ipsos and Hotwire and reported on the influence that blogs have on people’s intention to purchase a product. For a full copy of the story, please click here. o Absatzwirtschaft ”Blogs have more influence”. Absatzwirtschaft, a major German marketing and retail magazine, also covered the blog survey and the findings in the German and European markets. www.absatzwirtschaft.de France
In France, blogging is hotter than ever. Nine out of 10 internet users in France have heard about blogs according to a survey undertaken by Ipsos and Hotwire. As it was the first time that this topic was researched in France, journalists showed a real interest in the findings. Some of the highlights include: o 20 Minutes “Blogs: economic power. 35% of French people trust information on a blog to guide them when making a purchase, according to a Hotwire-Ipsos survey.” 20 Minutes is a national free newspaper and its readership is 870,000. o France Info France Info is a weekly radio programme dedicated to new technologies. Jérôme Colombain, the presenter, interviewed Roger Darashah, regional director of Hotwire in France, on the topic of blogs and their influence. He then commented on the Ipsos-Hotwire survey. France Info also put an article and the radio broadcast on its Website – listen here. o Europe 1 This is a daily radio programme, called « La Revue des Blogs ». The programme featured an interview with Alexis Helcmanocki from Ipsos, who commented on the Ipsos-Hotwire survey about the influence of blogs. Listen here for the national broadcast. o PointBlog.com PointBlog.com is the only French online magazine dedicated to blogs. The article covered the objective, methodology and summary of the Ipsos survey. Roger Darashah, regional director of Hotwire, advised companies to communicate with blogs with caution. He did not subscribe to the current view that blogs have an almost ‘mythical’ status, explaining that only two of the CAC40 currently possess one. Italy
The results of the study, presented at the Italian seminar held in Milan on November 21 st, were immediately picked up by the press. Numerous pieces of coverage have been published in the press and on online news sites, including: o Finanza&Mercati "Before making any purchasing decisions, more and more Europeans research web blogs to get an initial opinion. This is why blogs, modern online diaries, are becoming an important source of information even more than television advertising and email marketing. This trend is not ignored by corporations and they are starting to use blogs to communicate with their customers. The link between customers purchasing behaviour and information published on web blogs is one of the findings revealed by research commissioned by Hotwire from Ipsos."o Il Sole 24 Ore, Nova
"For those that work in marketing it's not something new: a satisfied customer is the best testimonial of a product". In this era of personal media customers have another way to influence, both positively and negatively the success of a product or the brand reputation. Content generated by users has become as important a way to promote a product as traditional advertising..."
o Daily Net "Research conducted by Hotwire and Ipsos has been presented in Milan and the main finding is that Blogs are becoming the most influential source of information."
o Affari Italiani "Blogs are becoming more and more influential according to research conducted by Hotwire and Ipsos. Findings from this study seems to show that there is an important link between information published by users and buying behaviour.”
SpainThe Spanish event occurred on November 28th and coverage appeared in many magazines and online publications including: o Cinco Días Amy Garcia, director of PR agency Hotwire in Madrid has warned against a blind corporate blogging frenzy in response to the growing power of blogs. Instead blog campaigns must be thoroughly researched, well planned, monitored and measured. o Marketing Directo According to a study by Ipsos and Hotwire, more than 25 million adults in Spain, France, Germany, Italy and the UK have changed their opinion with regards to an enterprise or their products after reading comments on a blog. o 20 Minutos.es According to Hotwire, more than 25 million Europeans have changed their opinion of companies or products after reading comments or reviews that have appeared in blogs. o ABC.es Blogs are important, according to the findings of the first report on the influence of blogs on companies’ bottom lines, carried out in Europe by Hotwire and Ipsos. o Baquia.es Blogs are becoming an important source of information throughout Europe, according to the research carried out by Hotwire and Ipsos Amy Garcia, from PR agency Hotwire mentioned that they are already coaching some of their clients in how to deal with the blogosphere. “It is important for companies to know whether they are been talked about in blogs, as well as to establish specific communications strategies with these new media."
o El País.es Amy Garcia, from PR agency Hotwire, explained that advising clients on how to communicate with blogs differs from communicating with the traditional media, the starting point being the tone of voice used.
o ABC
The results of the first Pan European survey about the economic influence of blogs, carried out by Hotwire and Ipsos MORI, have been published under the title: 39 million Europeans have not bought a product after reading negative comments written by people on the Internet.
o Marketing Directo According to a study by Ipsos and Hotwire, more than 25 million adults in Spain, France, Germany, Italy and the UK have changed their opinion with regards to an enterprise or their products after reading comments on a blog. |
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