Although search engines are still the dominant force when it comes to product research, social networks have been gaining ground for this activity in recent years.
Among some demographics and audiences, the gap between search and social is now in fact around 10 points or less. Indeed, ask Nike Buyers where they research brands/products and search engines might be the primary port-of-call but the indexes here are pretty telling. With 42% turning to social networks, that puts them 21% ahead of the average internet user.
The age breakdown for these figures is interesting too: the younger the Nike Buyer, the more they lean towards social networks. Conversely, the older age groups are more likely to cite a search engine as a main touchpoint.
