The research suggests online advocacy is the most influential channel for those consumers looking to make a purchasing decision.
The study also showed that surprisingly only 30 per cent of those surveyed were interested in interacting wih their favourite brands through social networking sites, in spite of the growth in social media's popularity.
A representative sample of 4,692 European consumers were questioned for the research. The complete findings of the survey will be announced by Weber Shandwick's CEO, UK and Europe, Colin Byrne today.