Social reviews outstrip TV advertising for influence, Deloitte media study finds

August 15, 2016 8:19

Reviews and recommendations by consumers on social networks are now ahead of TV in influencing purchase decisions Deloitte’s latest media consumption survey has found.The report revealed that for the first time the growing impact of social media was having a direct effect on how shoppers made decisions, with TV slipping just behind social media.

And it confirmed the continued reluctance of consumers to pay for digital news, with one-in-five relying on social media as their main news source.

Word of mouth remained the most influential channel for brands to get their message across but the report’s co-author, Niki Alcorn, said that the influence of social media has now reached a tipping point.

“More respondents (58%) have ranked ‘reviews from people within their social media circles’ in their top three influencers for buying decisions than television adverts (55% of respondents),” Alcorn said.

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Simon Canning

Simon Canning was Mumbrella's marketing and advertising editor from 2015-2017. In a career spanning journalism and communications over more than 30 years Simon has become one of Australia’s most respected analysts and commentators on the advertising, marketing and media industries. A regular commentator on radio and TV, Simon has also worked in media in the US and UK .

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