KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Recommendations from personal acquaintances is the most trusted form of advertising in Malaysia, revealed the results of an online global survey.

The survey of Internet consumers, carried out by global information and media company The Nielsen Company, showed that more than nine out of 10 Malaysians (93%) trust the opinions of those they know, followed by editorial content (82%), brand websites (75%) and brand sponsorships (75%).

Tied in fifth position are advertisements in newspapers and on television (74%).

Malaysians have more faith in advertisements on television, radio and in the newspaper than in the opinions posted online by strangers, whereas globally, consumers' online opinions rank second only to recommendations by acquaintances.

"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," says Wong Mae Suen, associate director of the media group of The Nielsen Company.

The same survey also showed that more Malaysians understood the significance of advertising and sponsorship as a source of funding for cultural and sporting events (91%), and as a key contributor to economic growth (88%), than the global average (81% and 71% respectively).

Regional differences in attitudes toward advertising also surfaced in the survey.

European consumers appeared to be more sceptical of advertisements and found them less entertaining than their counterparts in Latin America, the Asia-Pacific and North America. -The Star/ANN