LONDON, June 12, 2008 — Fleishman-Hillard, in conjunction with Harris Interactive, today announced the results of a Digital Influence Index (DII) designed to track and measure the influence and impact of the Internet on consumer behaviour and decisions in the UK, Germany, and France.
The key findings of the study, published in a white paper, reveal that:
- Across all three countries addressed by the study, the Internet has roughly double the influence of the second strongest medium — television — and roughly eight times the influence of traditional print media. This indicates a need and an opportunity for companies to reprioritise their communications to address the media shift in consumer influence.
- Consumers use the Internet in different ways to make different decisions. For example, consumers are more likely to seek opinions of others through social media and product-rating sites when it comes to making decisions that involve choices that have a great deal of personal impact (e.g., healthcare options or major electronics purchases), but use company-controlled sources when making transactional decisions on commoditised items like utilities or airline tickets.
- While consumers see the clear benefits of the Internet on their lives, they continue to have concerns about Internet safety and the trustworthiness of some of the information they find online. In the UK, for example, 66 percent of online consumers state that the Internet helps them make better decisions, but just 28 percent trust the information on the Internet provided by companies.
Approved Quotes
“The research shows that the Internet stands out as the most important medium in the lives of European consumers today,” said Dave Senay, president and CEO of Fleishman-Hillard. “But there’s a mismatch between the impact of the digital channel across a wide range of consumer behaviours and decisions and the proportion of resources organisations generally are allocating to it relative to other media. Insights provided by this study will help communicators be more strategic in their marketing mix. At the same time, we need to be mindful about the concerns expressed about safety and trust, which underscores the need for digital engagement with consumers based on open and honest representation.”
“This study was launched to provide marketers and other communications professionals with an annual platform to evaluate the evolving role of the Internet in decisions which help shape the lives of consumers.” says Brian McRoberts, vice president Fleishman-Hillard Digital Research. “It was developed to be easily replicable over time and applicable across cultural barriers. There are many of these types of insights into behaviour which we uncovered which can aid in planning the specific brand or corporate-level approach to using the Internet to engage the public.”
“The rapid rise, changing nature, and increasing influence of the Internet, in particular, should cause marketers to think differently about the entire media and marketing landscape,” stated George Terhanian, president of Harris Interactive Europe. “By taking into account consumers’ evolving preferences, needs, and desires, and balancing the beneficial use of personal data with the concerns consumers have for privacy, marketers can deliver more, and more effectively, for their customers in the online age.”
Full details of the Digital Influence Index are published in a white paper, which is free to download. The white paper also includes suggestions for marketers and communicators on how to integrate digital into marketing plans and communications campaigns.
About the Digital Influence Index
Fleishman-Hillard, working cooperation with Harris Interactive, interviewed nearly 5,000 Internet users in the UK, Germany and France. The survey was designed to measure media-consumption patterns, Internet behaviour and attitudes, and online social networking involvement, as well as to assess the Internet’s influence on specific decisions — from purchasing to politics, healthcare to finance.
The study gives marketers and communications professionals an unprecedented ability to decide the best way to influence those online discussions and interactions.
About Fleishman-Hillard
Fleishman-Hillard Inc., one of the world’s leading public relations firms, has built its reputation by using strategic communications to deliver what its clients value most: meaningful, positive, and measurable impact on the performance of their organizations. The firm is widely recognized for excellent client service and a strong company culture founded on teamwork, integrity, and personal commitment. Based in St. Louis, the firm operates throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, South Africa, and Latin America through its 80 owned offices. The Fleishman-Hillard network includes more than a dozen fully integrated digital communications business units worldwide delivering full-service strategic communications solutions involving new and emerging media. For more information, visit the Fleishman-Hillard Web site at www.fleishman.com.
Fleishman-Hillard is a part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com). Omnicom is a leading global advertising, marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom’s branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, interactive, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to more than 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.
About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research, powered by our science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through our UK, European, North American, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
