Yesterday, Harris Interactive published the results of their March online poll that compares offline social word of mouth to online social media and measures how the two impact brand decision-making. The report is chalk full of information for marketers. According to the report, when it comes to making purchase decisions, consumers obtain information using a mixture of old media and new media. While that may not be surprising to you, the breakdown may be.

The most frequently identified methods of gathering information were:

• Using a company website (36%),
• Face-to-face with a salesperson or other company representative (22%), and
• Face-to-face with a person not associated with the company (21%).

Other frequently mentioned methods or sources were:

• Advertising in print media (19%),
• Independent websites that have reviews (19%),
• Phone call to the company (16%), and
• Public or private social networking sites (4%).

The report shouldn't squash your social media marketing plans, but it certainly can help you in allocating an appropriate amount of time on it -- and keep you grounded amidst all the hype. Download the full report (PDF) for all the details: Offline Social Word of Mouth Influence On Brand Decision-Making More Frequent and More Powerful Than Online Social Media.