Survey: Nearly Half of Americans Quickly Lose Trust in a Brand If Exposed to Toxic or Fake User-Generated Content on Its Channels

Since the beginning of the pandemic (March 2020) there has been an increase of inappropriate or misleading user-generated content (UGC) online, and it has caused consumers to have trust issues with brands, according to a new survey from TELUS International, a leading global customer experience (CX) and digital solutions provider. Over half (54%) of respondents have witnessed this rise, with 36% seeing instances of inaccurate, fake or even toxic UGC multiple times a day, and an additional 15% saying they see this type of content daily. More than 40% of respondents will disengage from a brand’s community after as little as one exposure to toxic or fake UGC, while 45% say they will lose all trust in a brand.

“People are being exposed to higher volumes of inappropriate and misleading user-generated content as more of their daily lives have moved online since the start of the pandemic - a challenge that consumers want to see brands tackle head on,” said Jim Radzicki, chief technology officer at TELUS International. “It is in the best interest of organizations to deploy strong content moderation tactics and technologies to combat this material when it appears on their channels as nearly 70% of survey respondents stated that brands need to protect users from toxic content and 78% said it is a brand’s responsibility to provide positive and welcoming online experiences.”

Other findings on the impact of inaccurate or otherwise harmful UGC identified by respondents included:

• The most frequently encountered unwanted content includes spam (61%), fake reviews and testimonials (61%), and inappropriate or harmful images (48%).
• Consumers report finding these types of content so impactful that it has affected the quality of their day, with 38% saying it has made their day worse, and nearly 30% reporting it ruined the entire day.

Brands that seek positive interaction with consumers online see higher engagement

On the flip side, when a brand engages with a customer online (e.g. liking a social media post or responding to a review/comment) it has a positive effect on their relationship with that company. More than half (53%) said it makes them more likely to purchase from the company again, while 45% said it makes them more likely to post additional UGC and increases the likelihood they would recommend the brand.

With 83% of Americans surveyed saying they have posted UGC - most frequently, images (52%), reviews or testimonials (51%) and comments in forums/social/online communities (44%) - brands that turn to social listening and community management practices in addition to addressing unwanted content will have a stronger chance at positively impacting the online customer experience.

Positive, welcoming online experiences are driven by a hybrid human-technology approach

“These findings demonstrate how brands have an amazing opportunity to prove how much they value their customers and take internet safety and experience seriously. The benefits of tech-assisted human content moderation are unmatched and essential for obtaining and sustaining customer trust. Our hybrid model, using humans and technology in tandem to combat fake and harmful content on one hand, and enable better customer engagement on the other, has proven successful with many of today’s leading brands,” continued Radzicki.

TELUS International delivers social media CX services that span customer care and technical support for B2C and B2B clients, community and content moderation, ad moderation, online reputation management, social media listening and monitoring, insights and analytics, trust and safety, fraud detection, identity verification, and protection of marketplaces. The company also provides data annotation services as part of its sales services, supporting sellers in online marketplaces to drive revenue, and better positioning brands in online advertising on social media platforms. In addition, TELUS International offers social media strategy consulting, content moderation policy and guidelines design, and channel enablement. The company partners with clients across media, financial services and fintech, games, travel, healthcare, e-commerce, consumer packaged goods, and retail industries in over 50 markets in more than 40 languages.

Today’s consumers are willing to help combat toxic or misleading UGC, with 66% reporting having flagged instances to brands. Respondents also indicated that many companies can provide a more timely response as less than a third (32%) of people received a response within 24 hours. In terms of actions they want to see taken by brands, 69% of those surveyed said they want the brand to remove the content, while 46% want a direct response about the actions the brand has taken and 40% want the offending user banned, at least temporarily.

“Facing a state of a near infocalypse on social media with deep fakes, spam, bad actors, and the sheer exponential growth of user-generated content, both customers and brands want a more protected online environment. Together with the shift to social media marketing and sales, this change is fueling the global social media CX services market, which is expected to reach $6.5 billion in 2024,” said Ivan Kotzev, customer experience lead analyst at NelsonHall. “Increasingly, companies look to partner with a trusted provider to benefit from multicultural and multimarket experience to improve social media CX at a local level. They also expect close to real-time customer and market insights at a granular level to enhance customer satisfaction, build brand loyalty, and grow revenue through cross-sell and upsell opportunities on digital channels.”

The survey findings are based on a Pollfish survey that was conducted on June 7, 2021, and included responses from 1,000 Americans familiar with the definition of user-generated content.

About TELUS International

TELUS International (NYSE and TSX: TIXT) designs, builds and delivers next-generation digital solutions to enhance the customer experience (CX) for global and disruptive brands. The company’s services support the full lifecycle of its clients’ digital transformation journeys and enable them to more quickly embrace next-generation digital technologies to deliver better business outcomes. TELUS International’s integrated solutions and capabilities span digital strategy, innovation, consulting and design, digital transformation and IT lifecycle solutions, data annotation and intelligent automation, and omnichannel CX solutions that include content moderation, trust and safety solutions and other managed solutions. Fueling all stages of company growth, TELUS International partners with brands across high growth industry verticals, including tech and games, communications and media, eCommerce and fintech, healthcare, and travel and hospitality. Learn more at: telusinternational.com.

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