Online branding today's consumer gospel

    Company websites most trusted source of information for auto, banking,

    tech junkies

    TORONTO , April 23 /CNW/ - Consumers looking for information on new

products are putting aside their healthy cynicism of corporate branding and

gravitating toward company websites, which some consumers believe to be more

credible than news media.

    According to the APEX PR Influencer Report, a comprehensive study of

consumer trends conducted by Leger Marketing, company websites as they relate

to automobiles, banking, electronics and appliances, are more trusted compared

to television news and programs, family and friends, and traditional

advertising. Overall, company websites - viewed by 42 per cent of consumers

weekly - ranked 38 per cent on the credibility scale, behind news media and

friends and family.

    "Brands have come a long way in how they present corporate and product

information and as a result we are seeing consumers gravitating towards

company websites for information," said Pat McNamara, president of APEX Public

Relations, which commissioned the study. "The company website is a powerful

medium that we can use to communicate with a captivated audience - we need to

ensure we are doing so with maximum impact."

    The data supports recently released research from the APEX PR Influencer

Report that identified industry experts as more significant when it comes to

influencing purchasing decisions than celebrities and journalists. Those who

lend credence to corporate website information are mostly trendy individuals

with a strong knowledge of new technologies and products, but who tend to

purchase products after they have been on the market for some time.

    The trend toward corporate websites is more prevalent in the eastern

provinces than out west where consumers tend to place greater scrutiny on big

brands. Not surprisingly, younger audiences were most likely to believe

information from corporate websites than are middle-aged Canadians or seniors.

    "Young adults, particularly those in their university years, represent

the first generation to have had access to the Internet throughout their

formative years, and they have learned to gravitate toward company websites

for quick and reliable information on the products that interest them," said

McNamara.

    The study was conducted between September 7 and 18, 2007, and surveyed

1,517 adults across Canada . It is considered accurate within +/- 2.5

percentage points, 19 times out of 20.