Triton Digital’s “Media Influence Insights” Survey Finds that Consumers Trust Traditional Media More Than Digital

Survey of 24,000 Consumers Reveals Television as Most Trusted Media Source, Followed by Newspapers and Radio

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a large-scale survey that included over 24,000 North American local media users, Triton Digital’s Application & Services division found that consumers trust traditional media more than digital. Specifically, television was rated the most trusted medium by respondents (45 percent) followed by newspapers (20 percent) and radio (18 percent). The Immediate Insights survey found that digital (13 percent) and social media (four percent) were the least trusted media sources.

The survey also reports that this trust may have a direct impact on the success of advertisements in each medium. For example, more than 64 percent of consumers acknowledged that they have made a purchase after seeing it advertised on television, radio or in a newspaper. Conversely, consumers were more apt to trust their own internet research (61 percent) over television commercials (28 percent), radio commercials (21 percent), or newspaper ads (16 percent). Recommendation engines also scored low, with 17 percent of respondents noting that they influence buying decisions.

“While digital media continues to explode in popularity and affect traditional media usage, the underlying trust of media consumers toward digital compared to traditional media are not yet equal,” said Triton VP of Business Strategy, Jim Kerr. “Similarly, traditional media advertising continues to prove effective and more likely to influence purchase decisions than digital ads.”

In addition to media trust and advertising influence, the survey also examined consumer interactivity with traditional media. The full results of the survey can be found at: http://tritondigital.com/Media/Default/Documents/2012-06-01-Media-Influence-Survey.pdf.

About Triton Digital

Triton Digital is the leading digital service provider to traditional and online radio with a rapidly expanding roster of media clients emerging from the television and print space. Our infrastructure, applications, and innovation are powering digital audience and revenue growth for clients around the globe. Our platform makes digital content extensible, personal, social, and profitable. Triton Digital is a portfolio company of funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P., a leading global investment management firm.