Established online brands such as easyJet and FirstDirect proved to be more trusted than social networking sites. Word of mouth proves to be an influential opinion former with two thirds of internet users stating that they are more likely to trust an online brand that has been recommended to them. Commissioned by the impartial price comparison site, PriceRunner.co.uk, the YouGov study also revealed that 41% of those that surf online are more likely to trust a website if they have an offline presence and almost one in four people (22 %) said simply having a logo they recognise or like gave them confidence in a brand.

Despite choosing to buy online to save time on the phone or in store, a third of people are more likely to use an online retailer that provides telephone helpline options if required. Awareness is also important and almost four out of ten internet users said they felt more comfortable using a website they had previously read about in newspapers or magazines.

Green issues are moving up the agenda for online brands too with over one in ten having increased faith in companies that appear to be environmentally aware.

Spending online reaches record high

Trust in online retailers is at an all time high, with consumers buying online spending a record £4.2bn in February 2008**. Savvy consumers are using price comparison services to help them get the best price on their online purchases but there’s room for further savings, with 15% of people admitting that they use price comparison sites to ensure that they got a good deal on a purchase already made.

The study also looked at internet users’ understanding of how different price comparison services work. Seven out of ten people said they would be disappointed to learn that the pricing information they are being offered by some sites is influenced by advertisers. And, 77% of internet shoppers went as far as saying they would be angry if they learnt that some comparative pricing sites push consumers towards a particular product over another for their own financial gain. They would prefer to use a comparison site that is impartial and lists the most number of retailers regardless of advertising arrangements.

James Roper, CEO, IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group), gave his thoughts on the topic “It’s not surprising that consumers are spending more online than ever before as there are a number of great services that allow people to make sizeable savings of time and money. But, different comparison services list their products in different ways – the consumer needs to ensure that they understand how the website they are using works and ensure it is giving them the information they need – whether that be price including delivery, biggest choice of retailers, etc. We would always advise people to do as much research as possible before making any purchase.”

Mattias Berg, UK managing director, PriceRunner.co.uk.said: “Using price comparison services is all about saving money and people need to be sure they have as much accurate information as possible before making a purchase, particularly regarding pricing. This is why we created our pledge for the impartial price comparison truth*** to offer our users certainty about the information they are getting from us. In short, we will always ensure that we list the cheapest price first and include pricing information from all retailers, regardless of any advertising arrangements.”

Source, IMRG
See notes to editors

For further information please contact:
Text 100
Dan Gamble
T: 0208 846 0761
E: dan.gamble@text100.co.uk

Notes to Editors

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,073 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 25th – 27th March 2008. The

survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

What builds trust of online brands?

YouGov survey findings

PriceRunner conducted the below benchmarking research to highlight how it gathers and delivers pricing information against its competitors:

OUR PLEDGE FOR THE IMPARTIAL PRICE COMPARISION TRUTH

At PriceRunner.co.uk, we believe that all price comparison sites should offer impartial pricing information.

We feel so strongly about it, that we’re pledging a series of guarantees about our company, signed by our UK Managing Director.

We will always list the cheapest price first, regardless of any commercial relationships with retailers

We will be impartial and honest, showing the best products and prices without prejudice

We will genuinely check millions of prices and update them constantly to provide the lowest price available

We expect the very best from our third party category partners (*)

We will never rest in our quest to bring you The Price Comparison Truth

………And PriceRunner will also seek the lowest prices online with information from high street stores

Signed:

Mattias Berg

Mattias Berg
UK Managing Director
PriceRunner

April 2008

About PriceRunner:
www.PriceRunner.co.uk, a division of ValueClick, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCLK), is the

UK’s most comprehensive and independent price comparison company. Online prices are updated on a daily basis by a specialist team that develops and manages cutting edge technology which hunts down the cheapest online prices available. PriceRunner is unique in that, unlike other price comparison sites, a dedicated team of PriceRunners also checks prices in high street stores. PriceRunner always lists the cheapest price first and is completely independent in that it lists all retailers, regardless whether they pay or not, to provide consumers with a complete overview of the market.

About ValueClick:
ValueClick, Inc. (Nasdaq:VCLK) is a leading global provider of digital marketing solutions, enabling advertisers, agencies and publishers to reach consumers

through all major online marketing channels. Through its four main businesses; vcmedia, Commission Junction, Mediaplex and PriceRunner, ValueClick provides a comprehensive portfolio of digital marketing solutions.

For more information, please visit www.valueclick.co.uk

This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, ValueClick’s ability to successfully integrate its recently completed Fastclick and Webclients mergers, trends in online advertising spending and estimates of future online performance-based advertising. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted, and reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements are detailed under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission made from time to time by ValueClick, including: its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 31, 2006 and amendment to its Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed on April 21, 2006; its current report on Form 8-K filed on February 27, 2006; recent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and Form 10-Q/A, other current reports on Form 8-K; its amended registration statement on Form S-4, filed on September 27, 2005; and its final prospectus on Form 424B3 filed on September 28, 2005. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risk that market demand for online advertising, and performance-based online advertising in particular, will not grow as rapidly as predicted. ValueClick undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Following recent reports that high street retailers are experiencing a sharp fall in sales, a recent survey from PriceRunner (www.pricerunner.co.uk), the price comparison website, shows that online retailers are improving their presence on the web.

A retail study of brand awareness and trust of online retailers has revealed that Argos has the highest brand awareness among UK consumers shopping online but Amazon scores best in the overall ratings. With online sales continuing to grow, it is vital for retailers to understand how their brand is perceived by consumers and which factors are important for consumers when they select an online retailer.

PriceRunner studied a total of 59 retailers selling home electronics and white goods in the UK through an online survey to which 4918 consumers responded to specific questions in relation to brand awareness, overall rating, strengths and weaknesses, retailer preference, recommendation and loyalty. The objective of the study, conducted bi-annually by PriceRunner, is to research consumer attitudes towards different internet retailers.

A summary of the study results is included below.

Brand Awareness
In relation to brand awareness, the study reveals that the top 10 leading online retailers selling home electronics and white goods in the UK are Argos (99%), Amazon (95%), Tesco (89%), Currys (87%), Comet (87%), Dixons (87%), Jessops (87%), PC World (86%), Phones4U (76%) and Carphonewarehouse (73%). Since the last survey conducted in September 2004, Argos has increased its awareness by 10% but across all the retailers surveyed, The Link has increased its awareness the most by 14% since September 2004.

Overall Rating
When asked to rate retailers on a scale of one to five (five being highest and one being lowest), consumers voted Amazon the best among internet retailers (the mean value of the score was 4.12). The remaining top 5 retailers who scored high in relation to overall rating were A J Electronics (4.0), InternetCamerasDirect (3.93) 7dayshop.com (3.75) and BE-Direct (3.70).

Recommendations
Asked which retailer consumers would most recommend to a friend, the response shows that Amazon is the most trusted brand (66%), followed by Argos (44%), Jessops (37%) Tesco (43%) and dabs.com (35%).

Important Factors when Buying Online
Price continues to be the most important factor for consumers when selecting an internet retailer. Secure payment options and reliability are the second and third most important factors, followed by product information, product selection/availability, return policy, ease of using the website, shipping and handling options, delivery time and contact alternatives. Compared to the last study in September 2004, secure payment options and reliability have increased in priority and delivery time has become less important.

About the Study

The Retailer Image study measures various e-retailers including awareness, overall rating, strengths and weaknesses. Retailer preference, recommendation and loyalty were also included. 59 retailers were surveyed. 4918 consumers in the UK responded to specific questions via an online questionnaire on www.pricerunner.co.uk between 10 January and 20 March 2005.

The objective of the study is to research consumer attitudes towards different internet retailers. These consumers are mature in the buying process as they actively seek out product and pricing information before their purchase. The sample consists of UK-based consumers who actively seek information about products at www.pricerunner.co.uk. PriceRunner currently has approximately 2 million visits per month in the UK.

This is the fourth survey on Internet retailers which PriceRunner has conducted on the UK market. The first study was carried out in June 2003, the second study was March 2004 and the third in September 2004. This survey will be carried out bi- annually in order to give companies an opportunity to follow up their brand development.

About PriceRunner

PriceRunner, a division of ValueClick, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCLK), offers product and price comparisons in the categories of personal care, books, computers, films, finance, games and consoles, golf, home appliances, home cinema, household bills, insurance, music, phones, photography, software and sound and vision. Pricerunner.com was the first site in the UK to compare information from both online and high street stores and is the only one that lists non-paying retailers to give users a better overview of the market. By giving the consumer an objective and informative overview, PriceRunner makes it easier for the consumer to make a smarter purchase more quickly.

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