The Trust Bump is Real, in the U.S. and the UK

New studies point to just how dimly we view social media content.

Looks like our friends across the pond have a lot in common with us here in the U.S. – we all share a basic mistrust of social media content.

“The research, which surveyed 3,230 consumers, produced similar results for people aged over and under 35,” writes Gideon Spanier in Campaign. Result show that 70% of Britons trust magazine media over social, confirming the so-called “trust bump” we talk about here.

According to Spanier, media planners the researchers surveyed said: “trust is becoming an issue of growing importance for advertisers and is being included in more client briefs – at a time when trust in business and society has been falling.”

Now, this is where magazine brands have a concrete edge. As Spanier writes, “An increased level of trust produces a ‘brand rub’ effect that benefits advertisers in magazines media, according to Anna Sampson, head of insight at Magnetic, who also worked on the study.”

The rub in all of this? As some magazine brands nervously rebranded themselves as content distribution platforms, they may have undercut the value of this trust in the eyes of the public. The ones who remained firmly identified as magazine media, however, are reaping the benefits.

“Crucially, it’s about the magazine brand, not the channel,” Sampson said, explaining how the results came from looking at a magazine brand across display advertising, partnerships and print and online, including on social media.

It’s a compelling story to paint for your advertisers; trust and quality truly are the saving grace of magazines, and it translates across channels for their ad partners.