Local websites draw on the inherent qualities of their parent newspapers, making their advertising nearly twice as trusted and relied-upon as other website advertising, new research from TNS Media has shown.

In combination, local media - in print and online - is 49 per cent more trusted and relied-upon than the nearest everyday medium (commercial TV), stage III of six-figure research project the wanted ads has found.

The study shows that the recent massive growth in local media channels, combined with the transfer of local press values to local online platforms, offers advertisers an environment that is trusted, relevant, sought-after and acted-upon.

Mark Greenstreet, managing director at Carat Insight, said: "The wanted ads III builds well on the previous 'wanted ads' studies, reinforcing the unique value of 'localness', irrespective of the platform.

"I welcome any good research that throws light on how off and on-line media can work together. In this case the study shows how online can build on the trust shown for local print brands."

Key findings include:

  • Advertising on local media websites is 77 per cent more likely to be believed and relied-upon than advertising on other websites.
  • People are 49 per cent more likely to trust advertising in local media (print and online) than the nearest everyday medium (commercial television.)
  • Local media advertising made people 123 per cent more interested in spending in the brand's category compared to people who hadn't seen the advertising.

The wanted ads is a three-part research project launched by the Newspaper Society in April 2006 to uncover the role of advertising in the local media.

Stage I showed that advertising in the local press is actively sought out rather than deliberately avoided, while stage III probed the cumulative effect of running campaigns across different local media platforms.

Month-long campaigns promoting four national consumer brands; Virgin Media, Waterstone's, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and PruHealth, were run in four separate local newspapers and on their websites.

Tests conducted afterwards showed people were more aware of advertising in local media, trusted it more, and had a higher opinion of the brands when they featured in local media. Local media advertising was also more likely to drive word of mouth.

Robert Ray, marketing director at the NS, said: "Trust is the primary issue today, not just for the media but for governments, financial institutions and most clients and their brands. We already know that people trust their local newspaper above all other media but we wanted to find out whether that trust is applied across all platforms, and how it relates to advertising contained within them.

"Now we know that local media online, and the advertising contained within it, shares the same qualities as the local newspaper. While these platforms often serve completely different needs, they combine to form a powerful tool which large national clients can use to target specific communities across the country."

Jennie Beck, head of TNS Media, added: "Local media publishers were pioneers in online news provision and this research shows the value of that early investment.

"Online and print brands work together commercially as well as editorially, with websites clearly drawing on the same brand values that make local newspapers the most trusted media in the marketplace."

Following a launch at the Covent Garden Hotel on 26 September, the wanted ads III findings will be presented to key media players in a two-week road show spanning the length and breadth of the UK.

Devised by creative agency St Luke's, an advertising campaign promoting the findings has been booked to run across local media platforms and media industry titles through October.