According to Universal McCann, we’re all relying a lot more on the kindness and influence of strangers when we make purchase decisions based on information received online. Their September report entitled When did we start trusting strangers? is based on research into 17,000 internet users in 29 countries — and concludes that strangers are trusted:

• almost as much as a face-to-face recommendation
• more than any paid-for communications (presumably infomercials, advertorials and the like)
• more than advertising
• far more than a celebrity endorser

Read the full report for some terrific insights into the rise of social media and democratization of influence — and the resulting impact on your business.