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Real-Life Recommendation Beats Online
New research from consumer intelligence firm Mintel shows that real-life product or service referrals are more influential to consumers than those received online.
According to the survey, most people who bought a product or service based on a recommendation, did so on a referral from a friend/relative or husband/wife/partner (34% and 25% respectively). Just 5% of respondents made a purchase because of a recommendation from a blogger or in a chat room.
Two thirds of people (64%) made a recommendation based on price, while 55% said that quality drove them to make a recommendation, and 33% said convenience influenced them.
Asian and Hispanic respondents are considerably more likely to recommend a product they saw advertised and are also more likely to report being influenced by bloggers to purchase a specific product or service.
'It's interesting to find that as much time as we spend online, we still prefer a personal recommendation from someone we know and trust,' states Senior Analyst Chris Haack. 'Young adults are somewhat more likely to turn to the Internet for advice and referrals, but even they listen to their peers first.'
With offices in Chicago, London, Belfast, Sydney, Shanghai and Tokyo Mintel is online at www.mintel.com .
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