▶ Faster, Simpler, Not Without Headaches: Just 15% of Americans believe that digital technology has complicated their lives while 87% said that frustrations with usability on the Web and mobile devices have created negative perceptions about brands.
Those are the main takeaways from a recent Harris Interactive study, commissioned by EffectiveUI, with more than 2,000 U.S. adults surveyed. As digital media moves to the core of communications, PR pros increasingly will be tasked to build a better mousetrap for their brands via the Web.
Here are some of the other results from the study:
• On average, 93% of respondents said they are frustrated with websites 23% of the time.
• Nearly three-quarters of respondents (72%) said they are frustrated by the usability of a mobile app 25% of the time.
• Respondents who said they wanted the digital experience to be easier indicated they would do more of the following: insurance needs (13%), shopping (12%), TV viewing (9%) and reading (7%).
Source: Harris Interactive, Effective UI
▶ Brands Have to Practice What They Preach: Nearly half of Americans think brands don’t act in line with their values, and 90% believe that they need to start trying, according to a new study released by PR agency Hill+Knowlton. The survey, which was released earlier this month, stems from online interviews with 3,000 U.S. adults, and doesn’t bode well for brands that don’t put their money where their mouth is when touting their brand attributes.
The overall? Brands are having difficulty communicating “character,” which negatively impacts brands’ ability to connect with stakeholders and improve reputation and value.
The study also found:
• Only 10% of respondents trust brands more today than 10 years ago.
• Nearly nine out of 10 respondents (89%) said they look to friends and family, rather than the government or CEOs, for trusted input on companies.
• Nearly two-thirds of the respondents (64%) said they want companies to demonstrate “character” via philanthropy and engaging communities. PRN
Source: Hill + Knowlton
This article appeared in the November 25 issue of PR News. Subscribe to PR News today to receive weekly comprehensive coverage of the most fundamental PR topics from visual storytelling to crisis management to media training.