As many of us continue to be locked inside, we’re getting bombarded with marketing messages. Advertisers are wondering if they’re making a positive brand impression on consumers. New GroupM research, Consumer Trust in Digital Marketing, shows how that impression comes down to the advertising format used, the frequency of messaging, and the offers they’re making.

Marketing Formats

Positive brand impact and increased sales are among the reasons to use new marketing formats like influencers, which have become increasingly popular with brands. Yet, when GroupM analysts spoke with over 13,000 consumers globally, they learned that the following marketing formats delivered the best brand impressions:

• Recommendations 46%
• Positive online reviews 41%
• TV ads 24%
• Social network ads 24%
• Influencer recommendations 20%

Influencers are clearly not at the top of the list. The data in the above list is based on global input. For the U.S., influencers come in at 12% in terms of brand favorability. That’s lower than newspaper ads (15%) and not much higher than radio ads (11%). However, influencers are increasing their presence and up to 21% of U.S. consumers have purchased a product directly from one of these sites.

Use of Personal information

In the U.S., 57% of consumers say they are less willing to buy or use a product from a company that has used their personal data. To maintain a positive brand impression, your clients should be upfront about what they are doing with information. Consumers are waking up to the fact that marketers view them as valuable, and the way brands use personal data definitely impacts public opinion. Over 60% of consumers want to be incentivized for marketer use of their data. There are some data points that consumers will share more readily than others. Information on entertainment history (84%) or hobbies (82%) falls into the shareable category. However, only 41% are into sharing their faces and just 37% will give up biometrics.

Messaging Frequency

Marketers are walking a tightrope right now. They want to stay in touch with consumers during the pandemic, but not overstep with inappropriate messages. The GroupM research finds that using the right frequency is also important. Here’s how often consumers want to hear from your clients:

• Daily 10%
• Weekly 45%
• Monthly 31%
• Once every three months 7%
• Less often 7%

Positive Brand Impression

If your clients are planning to communicate with customers, they should do so in a way that will be appreciated. Consumers want to get discounts and offers (59%), announcement of new products or services (31%) and new product reviews (27%). This consumer desire is present regardless of the pandemic status.

To maintain a positive brand impression, your clients should buy advertising in a range of formats. Beyond that, they shouldn’t risk breaking trust with consumers by being reckless with their personal information. To learn more about which consumers react to specific forms of advertising, check out the AudienceSCAN profiles available on AdMall from SalesFuel.