According to the Fall 2008 Ad-ology Media Influence on Consumer Choice survey, 60.5 percent of U.S. consumers who recently purchased a mobile or wireless phone said online product reviews and user comments had some or significant influence on their purchase decision. Nearly 30 percent also rated information from blogs with the same level of influence.

“This is the modern day version of ‘word-of-mouth’ advertising,” said C. Lee Smith, president and CEO of Ad-ology Research. “Advertisers have always known the immense value of positive ‘word-of-mouth’. Now consumers have a whole world of opinions and reviews available online, and this survey shows how much they value that kind of information.”

Other key findings from the survey:

• Consumers who rated online blogs and reviews highly tend to be younger (18 to 34 years old) and have average or higher than average incomes.
• Television, newspapers, and direct mail advertisements were among the most influential traditional media for recent mobile phone buyers.
• 26.3 percent of consumers surveyed indicated they prefer to purchase mobile/wireless phones online instead of in person/at a store.
• Survey respondents also revealed product reviews, user comments, and blogs significantly influenced other consumer electronics purchases.
• The price of a cell phone was widely considered to be a less important buying factor than rate plans, coverage area, and mobile phone product quality.

The Media Influence on Consumer Choice survey is conducted quarterly by Ad-ology Research to study on- and off-line media influence on buying decisions.

The survey asks a national consumer panel about key factors in their buying decisions. Respondents also rate nine types of online and seven types of traditional media in regards to how each influenced what they bought and where they bought it.