Social media has become a popular tool for gathering and spreading news, but traditional media remains the most trusted news source, reveals a new Ogilvy Public Relations survey. Earned media is by far the most influential medium for influencing purchasing decisions and business outcomes, according to the survey of 115 reporters, editors and producers.
“While social media revolutionized the way we communicate, we must not underestimate the power and credibility that traditional media relations provides,” said Jennifer Risi, managing director, Ogilvy Media Influence and Head of Media Relations, North America. The survey results clearly show the critical role of public relations and earned media, she said.
Main Survey Results
Some survey’s key findings are:
• 44% of respondents believe that today’s campaigns require traditional, social and paid media.
• Almost half of respondents (47%) view earned media as most influential for driving purchasing decisions and business outcomes.
• Traditional media [newspapers/wires/magazines] are the most trusted source of news, followed by influencer-driven news. Company-driven news ranked as the least influential across the board.
• The majority of journalists surveyed (65%) agree or strongly agree that the more the media covers a brand, the more credible the brand appears. However, they caution that too much coverage can be a sign of trouble.
• For news consumption, journalists rely on social media (35%), traditional newspapers (33%), newswires (12%), broadcast (11%) and blogs (5%) to keep up with the headlines.
“With earned media serving as one of the most efficient and cost effective ways to build trust, organizations are increasingly using this channel to build brand equity, grow sales and drive market share,” Risi said. “Today, the power of earned media for the strategic communication of a brand’s key messages should not be underestimated – it often lends brands the third-party credibility and validation today’s savvy consumers seek out prior to making purchasing decisions.”
Consumers also Trust Traditional Media Most
Other research has found that the public also trusts traditional media more. A survey by InkHouse and GMI last year reported found that television was the preferred and most trusted news source among 73% of Americans.
Social media ranked as the fifth most preferred news sources, after TV, online news, print news and radio, in the survey of 1,000 adults titled, Watch It, Read It or Tweet It: How Americans View and Share News. The two most trusted sources, TV and online news, are both top targets for earned media placements. Research indicates that press releases while still important PR tools, but PR pros can expect better results by persuading the media to cover their story.
Both surveys show that focusing on social media alone for placements and media monitoring is a flawed strategy. Organizations can be sure they are fully protecting their company’s reputation only by monitoring online news, broadcast and social media.
Bottom Line: While journalists are increasingly using social media, traditional media remains their preferred and most trusted news channel, a new survey indicates. The results highlight the importance of earned media and public relations and the need to monitor traditional media as well as social media.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
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