New Media Study Shows Increasing Consumer Empowerment

October 21, 2009 No comments

The 2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study, results of which were released on October 20, shows the continuing growth of consumer empowerment.

Cone, a strategy and communications agency that specializes in cause branding, looked only at users of “new media,” defined as “dialogue among individuals or groups by way of technology-facilitated channels” – social networks, blogs, games, message boards, and the like. Over one-third of the respondents use new media two or more times a week.

Highlights of the study include the following:

1. Consumers are increasing their interaction with companies and brands online. Almost 80 percent of new media users interact with companies or brands via new media sites and tools. This is an increase of 32 percent from the 2008 study. More than one-third of users (37 percent) interact via new media at least once per week, up from about 25 percent last year. New media users “overwhelmingly believe companies or brands should not only have a presence in new media, but also interact with their consumers in this space,” says Cone. In addition, consumers “think more highly of companies or brands when they or their friends can interact with them in a new media environment.”

2. Consumers believe they can influence businesses by voicing opinions online. Sixty-two percent of respondents believe they can influence business decisions by voicing opinions via new media channels. About one-quarter have offered their opinion on an issue or contacted a company directly. Consumers are also interested in and influenced by information they get online. A large majority of respondents (85 percent) want companies to tell them what is in products and how they are made. Three-quarters of new media users say new media channels are an effective way to learn about Corporate Responsibility efforts.

3. Supporting causes is important to new media users. Seventy-nine percent of respondents believe companies and nonprofit organizations should use new media channels to raise money and awareness for causes. Eighty-five percent of respondents say new media provides them with an opportunity to learn about new issues. Eighty percent say new media provides another way to support their favorite causes. Sixty percent have used some form of online or new media to support a cause. However, only 18 percent of users have made a cash donation through new media. Why? Nearly 39 percent said they didn’t trust that their efforts would actually help the cause, and 31 percent said they’d rather support causes offline. While no single cause had a majority of attention, leading causes supported via new media include animal welfare (29 percent), health and disease (28 percent), education (23 percent), the environment (22 percent) and human rights/equal rights (21 percent).

New media users appear to be active, interested and engaged. They are influenced by information they get online – and they believe they can influence businesses by communicating with them online.

It is clear that Internet-savvy consumers have high expectations. They want businesses to use new media. This is good news for online marketers, but there is this cautionary note as well: Businesses need to be ever-vigilant about using new media appropriately, and they must be responsive to consumer inquiries and comments.