21 May Women View Word-of-Mouth as Most Effective Advertising

Adweek recently posted an infograph from a Ladies’ Home Journal survey of 1,173 women in January 2014. The study found that female shoppers value peer opinions over any kind of paid ads—and the staggering majority of those surveyed said the experience of someone they knew directly led to a purchase decision.

79% of women stated they have made a purchase decision based on the experience of someone they know. 74% reported that their purchases are regularly impacted by reports of their peers. 52% said they were inspired in the past month to consider a new product or service based solely on conversations with friends.

The breakdown of their most trusted advertising resources is as follows:

• Recommendation from a peer – 84%
• Branded websites – 69%
• Magazine ads – 60%
• Pre-roll cinema ads – 56%
• TV product ads – 55%
• Banner ads online – 42%

The top influenced purchases include food and beverage items, trips and travel products and home furnishings.

Click here to view the entire infograph. Then share your opinion below – how much influence do your peers have over your purchase decisions?