Friends and Creators Drive More Trials Than Ads

New Social Soup research finds personal recommendations drive more than six times as many new product trials as paid advertising.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Marketing

Friends and Creators Drive More Trials Than Ads

Live Poll

Do you usually try new grocery products after a friend or family member recommends them?

Research from Social Soup shows recommendations from friends, family, creators and online reviews drive more than six times as many new product trials as paid advertising. The findings come from a survey of 850 Australians aged 18 and over.

Why it matters

Nielsen data shows 76 per cent of FMCG product launches fail within their first year, making the source of purchase influence a central question for brands in Australia. The results suggest that word of mouth may matter more to launch success than paid media spend.

Among main grocery buyers who recently tried a new product, 27 per cent named another person as their biggest influence, compared with 4 per cent who named paid advertising. Nielsen data shows 76 per cent of FMCG launches fail within their first year, and the extraction does not specify how many of the surveyed shoppers' trials were tied to a specific campaign.

The players

Social Soup

Social Soup is an Australian brand strategy and marketing organisation that produced the research on product trial and word-of-mouth influence.

Sharyn Smith

Sharyn Smith is the founder and chief executive of Social Soup, who presented the research to industry audiences.

Matt Jones

Matt Jones is a brand strategist at Social Soup who presented the research alongside Smith to industry audiences.

The details

Social Soup's survey found 79 per cent of main grocery buyers tried a new food, drink or household product in the previous three months, with 51 per cent purchasing on the spot. Seventy-eight per cent of people who try something new tell others, sharing with an average of 15.1 people, and 68 per cent discuss new products in person compared with six per cent who post about them on social media.

• 5 November 2026: Social Soup presented the research findings
• Over the previous three months: Shoppers tried new food, drink or household products

Market Landscape

The findings sit against Nielsen data showing 76 per cent of FMCG product launches fail within their first year, suggesting that conventional paid media may be less effective at driving trial than personal recommendation. For Australian brands competing in grocery categories, the research points to a shift in where launch budgets and attention may need to be allocated.

For shoppers, the research suggests that recommendations from friends, family and creators are a major influence on what they try next, and that many purchases happen on the spot. Brands aiming for trial may find that encouraging people to talk about products matters more than the volume of paid advertising.

The takeaway

Personal recommendations appear to carry more weight than paid advertising when Australian shoppers decide to try something new. Brands that invest in genuine word of mouth may gain an edge in the crowded grocery aisle.