As trust in Google and traditional marketing wanes, consumers are increasingly relying on online communities like Reddit for product recommendations. Paid ads and misleading reviews are driving this shift, with younger generations finding influence in peer recommendations and social media influencers.
Where a simple Google search may have once been enough to find the perfect T-shirt, moisturiser or backpack, now, you’ve got to wade through a lot of slop to find a fit. Google has become flooded with paid ads and suggestions for websites that have been maximised for their search engine ranking (SEO). Product reviews, which are increasingly common, aren’t always genuine.
In December last year, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found that more than one-third of reviews (including those on company websites and from third-party review sites) were misleading. As trust in search engines such as Google and brands themselves slowly erodes, consumers are turning to online communities, such as Reddit, for what they perceive to be more straightforward, reputable advice.Dr Adrian Camilleri, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Technology, says that Google is still the primary search engine in Australia. But he says consumers are becoming increasingly wary of the prevalence of paid ads and fraudulent reviews, while cultural and technological shifts over the past decade have seen the rise of social media and influencer marketing.“More and more, consumers – especially those who are younger – are learning about brands and offerings through platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest, as well as their favourite influencers on these platforms,” he says. Zach Edwards, a cultural strategist at Keep Left agency, says that consumers today are smarter, in turn making it harder for brands to break through. A recent report sheds a light on the methods used by companies such as Apple and Amazon to manipulate consumers into purchasing more.on the changing digital landscape. In it, 72 per cent of Gen Zs surveyed said they found peer recommendations more influential than traditional marketing.Reddit, an online message board founded in 2005, is fast becoming a rival to Google in shaping our purchasing decision
CONSUMER TRUST ONLINE COMMUNITIES SOCIAL MEDIA GOOGLE SEARCH PRODUCT REVIEWS
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