Jack Morton Publishes New Realities 2012 Research

Research shows personal recommendation is the most powerful ad medium

Brand experience fuels word of mouth

News provided by

Jan 26, 2012, 07:00 ET

BOSTON, Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Global brand experience agency Jack Morton Worldwide today published new research proving the power of brand advocacy. The research was conducted among more than 2,400 consumers in the US, Brazil, China and India.

New Realities 2012 reveals that recommendations from friends and family are the most powerful influence on consumers across all geographies–and that the best way to get consumers talking to their friends and family is for brands to provide direct, positive experience. Research highlights include:

People are the most powerful ad medium: more than 50% of people said friends and family are the #1 influence on consumer awareness and purchase.
Giving people something to talk about trumps "going viral": 75% of consumers only advocate brands they have great personal experiences with.
All forms of advocacy are not the same: consumers' views on social media impact are contradictory and only one in five use social networks to make brand recommendations the same way they do "in the real world."
Consumers are strongly influenced by in-store brand experience: 72% agree that unique customer experiences make them purchase one brand over another.

The research also offers insights into consumers' varying perceptions relating to different product categories and types, including considered purchases (automobiles, insurance, banking, computers, software) and nominal purchases (OTC pain relievers, household cleaning, fast food, snacks). Additional results will be released at a later date.

According to Jack Morton's Chairman and CEO, Josh McCall, "This research reinforces the importance of brand experiences that get people talking. Investing in creating unique experiences is one of the most important things brands can do to stand out, drive awareness and create customer advocacy."

Jack Morton works with leading clients like GM, Dell and SUBWAY restaurants to help them build strong experience brands. The agency published the research in the form of a white paper that is available to read online on the agency's Slideshare channel at http://www.slideshare.net/jackmortonWW/jac-knew-realities or on its web site at http://www.jackmorton.com/thinking/default.aspx. New Realities is based on a survey sponsored by Interpublic Group and conducted between September 26 and October 10, 2011. Additional insights from the New Realities study will be released at a future date or may be requested by contacting Jack Morton.

About Jack Morton Worldwide

Jack Morton Worldwide is a global brand experience agency. Our agency culture promotes breakthrough ideas about how experiences connect brands and people—in person, online, at retail and through the power of digital and word of mouth influence. We work with both BtoC and BtoB clients to create powerful and effective experiences that engage customers and consumers, launch products, align employees and build strong experience brands. Ranked at the top of our field, we earned more than 50 awards in 2011 for creativity, execution and effectiveness, including Best New Product Intro, Best Media Event and Employee Campaign of the Year. Jack Morton is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE: IPG). More information is available online at www.jackmorton.com, or follow us on Twitter @jackmorton.

SOURCE Jack Morton Worldwide