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Recommendations from friends & family more powerful than influencers

Lauretta Roberts
26 September 2019

Some 17% of fashion shoppers say a recommendation from a friend or family member is the factor that most inspires them to buy new clothes, compared to just 7% who state they prefer the advice of influencers.

According to a new study of 2,000 shoppers carried out by TheIndustry.fashion in partnership with referral marketing experts Mention Me, personal recommendations are the most powerful factor overall beating off influencers, printed brochures and catalogues, advertisements in magazines and content on brands' social platforms.

For 16-24 year-olds only content on a brand's social platform has more sway, while for the over 65s, printed brochures are slightly more influential that personal recommendations. For all other age groups, personal recommendations come out on top.

Influencers

Source: Friends & Family: The New Power Influencers. TheIndustry.fashion and Mention Me

When it comes to the method by which personal recommendations are made, face-to-face was by far the most powerful with 49% citing this method over being emailed links or receiving recommendations via social media.

Courtney Wylie, VP Product and Marketing at Mention Me, explains why family and friends have more sway than influencers: “It comes down to trust. Firstly, there’s social capital. Their reputation is on the line for you and this unspoken language is really valuable and trusted. You don’t have that with somebody you don’t know.

"Secondly, there’s the relevance of the recommendation. Your friends know if you’re getting married, having a party, wanting to lose weight... they have in-depth insight into your life and know what you’re likely to be interested in."

The report, entitled Friends & Family: The New Power Influencers, contains further insight into shoppers' behaviour and what motivates them to spend and also what would motivate them to recommend fashion brands to their friends and family members. It also contains insights and advice on how brands can harness the power of personal recommendations (including those made face to face) to help build their customer base, improve average order value and create a community of powerful advocates around their brand.

To unlock the full report, register here to receive a password, which will allow you to gain access.

Proudly created in partnership with Mention Me.

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