Brands will find it difficult to succeed in contemporary Malta unless they have online content which people are eager to share with their peers, a new research study has suggested. 

Companies which create content deemed worthy of sharing are much more likely to establish an identifiable and brand identity and stand out from the competition, the study found. 

"The choice of advert design, media through which it is transmitted, and marketing strategy should engender a process through which consumers not only view, like, and feel attached to the content, but also deem it striking and inventive enough to talk about it to friends, family, and acquaintances," researchers noted.

Local market research firm Marketing Advisory Services found that users were most likely to be swayed by an advert if they considered its content to be creative, unique, honest or informative, with creative content scoring highest on the influence index. 

Respondents were asked 'what makes an advert influential'.

Counterwise, content that users felt was offensive, irritating, repetitive or action-driven was the least likely to influence their choices. 

The quantitative research study also confirmed Maltese consumers' love affair with Facebook, with almost 95 per cent of respondents saying they used the social media platform. 

Respondents were also highly likely to use YouTube (88.6 per cent), with other social media platforms such as Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter lagging far behind. 

Research was carried out between August and September 2016.