Despite important changes in media consumption in recent years, consumers continue to have most trust in advertising in magazines and newspapers. It seems the power of the printed word still rings true and has great value when evaluating advertising. When asked how much trust they attach to advertising in the various media, consumers gave magazines and newspapers a score of 63%, TV 41% and Internet 25%. What’s interesting is that so-called traditional media such as direct mail and catalogues also outscore social media and the Internet respectively.

When asked about the role of advertising in purchase decision making, almost seven out of ten said printed advertising is most important to support purchase decisions. Proving the importance of direct mail, almost 90% of consumers value addressed and non-addressed mail above social media.

These figures prove the continued effectiveness of advertising in the various printed media. Advertisers benefit from the leading consumer trust in print media, as readers more positively evaluate their advertising compared to when it is placed in other media. And at the same time advertisements placed in print media play an important role in the purchasing process.

These results are based upon a pan-European survey conducted by VVT, the Finnish research institute. More than 700 consumers in 13 countries were asked about their media usage and their attitude towards advertising. The results also show four distinct consumer segments: Slow Bons Vivants, Busy Mix-and-Matchers, Tolerant Surfers and Youthful Digilovers. The Slow Bons Vivants represent 23% and are print users who associate digital media with their hectic working life. Busy Mix-and-Matchers (46%) easily shift between digital and print media and appreciate print media. Tolerant Surfers (19%) are digital media users with a positive attitude towards print media. Finally, Youthful Digilovers, the smallest segment (12%), are pure digital users who do not see the benefit of using print media.

Although advertisers are shifting budgets towards digital channels, consumers continue to have the highest trust in print and refer to advertisements in magazines and newspapers as a great source of information to support their purchase decisions. A recent survey from Ablock Plus, a browser add-on to block online ads, showed that 95% of consumers don’t trust online advertising and that 33% trust TV advertising. The latest figure is in line with the results from the VTT study and underlines the strength of print media.