Infographic: Believable Branding In The UAE- Who Do We Trust? Personalized word-of-mouth still remains one of the most valuable marketing tool even in today's digital age, with 84% of those polled saying they trusted "face-to-face recommendations of products and services from friends and family."

Does influencer marketing actually work? If you find yourself asking this question often, this recent survey of 1,000 UAE residents commissioned by Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) and conducted by YouGov, may offer a perspective.

Personalized word-of-mouth still remains one of the most valuable marketing tool even in today's digital age, with 84% of those polled saying they trusted "face-to-face recommendations of products and services from friends and family." Where does that leave social media influencers? Well, only 39% of respondents said they trust online recommendations from social media influencers or people with large followings. Further, looking at the aspect of trust in media, the survey found that trust in print publications (newspapers and magazines) ranked highest at 48%, followed by radio and television (44% rating). Blogs emerged as the least trusted source of information in the survey at 39%. As for trust in advertising, the most trusted formats were found to be television and billboards (both at 45%), followed by radio (41%), and online (social media) coming in lowest at 37%. As perhaps one of its key finding, the study finds that over half of respondents (57%) said they trust advertising less today than they did five years ago, leading the survey to deduce that purchase decisions continue to be guided by personal relationships and recommendations even in the digital media age.

To know more about all the insights uncovered by the survey, check out the infographic below.

Related: Three Alternative Tips for B2C Owners Who Cannot Afford Influencer Marketing