Almost half of the top factors that consumers feel indicate quality products or services relate to advertising, according to research from The Times and The Sunday Times.
The ‘Trends and Traits’ research surveyed 529 ABC1 Brits aged 25-44 – who engaged with The Times brand across print, digital, radio, or other platforms – and found that well-designed advertising made up 27% of the top factors selected, while quality media context made up 19%.
“The fact that advertising appearing in a trustworthy context is as important as product longevity in driving consumer perceptions of product quality is hugely significant,” said Caroline Tredget, Commercial Director at The Times and The Sunday Times. “We’ve long known that advertising context is important in driving product perceptions and this research just emphasises that message. Quality is important to this influential audience and it’s clear that advertising plays a significant role in creating the perception of quality for these consumers.”
The survey also found that the quality of products or services was the most important reason for consumers staying loyal to a brand, with 50% of respondents stating the importance of the attribute. This meant that ‘quality’ was ranked higher than price (45%), sustainability (36%), and ethical products or services (36%).
Despite sustainability and ethics not ranking as highly as quality and price, consumers are still heavily influenced by those attributes. When asked directly about corporate social responsibility (CSR), 75% said that a brand’s CSR approach influenced their purchasing decisions. The use of green energy came as being the most important CSR factor (47%), followed by sustainable development (45%) and environmental concern (44%).
*News UK (publisher of The Times and The Sunday Times) is a client of Bluestripe Communications, owned by Bluestripe Group, owner of NDA
