The first exposure a consumer has to a product or service can have an enormous influence on that consumer’s desire to begin a relationship with that brand. If the consumer likes the message, and trusts the source, they are more likely to try the product.
The manner in which the consumer hears about the product, therefore, can be just as important as the message itself. A global Nielsen study showed the level of trust given to different types of media. Personal recommendations are trusted far higher than most types of advertising on the internet and other sources.
It isn’t surprising that we trust and listen to recommendations from someone we know. Ads are viewed skeptically, whether they are on TV, internet, mobile phone, etc, and fall far below personal recommendations, websites and opinion, which are more genuine (not necessarily objective) forms of expression. The words and the message might be similar, but we tune out when we feel that we are being “sold to”.
In our new age of social media, we strive, as marketers, to make our messages more genuine, personal, and rooted in a social community. Social media can be harder to implement and not as easily measured since the original message (measurable) gets stronger the more it is passed along (not very measurable). Consumers will trust messages which they deem genuine and come from a credible source. The media choices change, but people remain emotionally connected to people, and trust them more than any other source.
The first impression is important, so it is important that it comes from a trusted source. When building awareness, the messenger counts.
