Recommendations from personal acquaintances or opinions posted by consumers online are the most trusted forms of advertising, according to the latest Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey of over 25,000 Internet consumers from 50 countries.
Ninety percent or consumers surveyed noted that they trust recommendations from people they know, while 70 percent trusted consumer opinions posted online.
“The explosion in Consumer Generated Media over the last couple of years means consumers’ reliance on word of mouth in the decision-making process, either from people they know or online consumers they don’t, has increased significantly,” …

With a focus on information and irreverence, Mediaweek has launched MediaFreakBlog.com, joining sister sites Adfreak and Brandfreak. Jim Cooper, Executive Editor, AdweekMedia and editor of Mediafreak explains the strategy behind Nielsen’s most recent blog offering.
What’s the goal of Mediafreak?
Jim Cooper: Mediaweek’s mantra has always been cover the content and follow the dollars, and Mediafreak will operate under the same mission-just in blog form. Our staff writers and freelance contributors will bring their deep institutional knowledge to bear to deliver an insightful, informative and entertaining counterpart to Mediaweek and Mediaweek.com.
Who is …

Meet the newest recession-fighting ally in the scrimmage for consumer sales: online advertising. Even discretionary product categories taking a hit at the register can build market share through online presence. Here’s how.