Though many adults in Canada seem to take the information in blogs at face value, others exhibit skepticism - but reactions vary widely, depending on the topic of the blog, according to "Blogging in Canada," a new Ipsos Reid study of the marketing potential of blogs, reports MarketingCharts.

Among the findings of the Ipsos study:

• Nearly two-thirds of adult internet users in Canada say the information in blogs is a reliable way to keep up to date on new technology (10 percent very reliable, 54 percent somewhat reliable); one in eight (13 percent) say the information is not at all reliable.
• When it comes to forming an opinion about a company or corporation, only half of Canadian internet users say the information in a blog would be reliable (4 percent very reliable, 47 percent somewhat reliable); the other half say it is not (34 percent not very reliable, 15 percent not at all reliable).
• When asked what impact positive comments regarding a product or service in a blog would have on the likelihood of purchasing it:
  • 10 percent of adult Canadian internet users say it would make them much more likely to purchase the product.
  • 51 percent say it would make them somewhat more likely to purchase.
• The effect of negative comments in a blog is a little stronger:
  • 12 percent say negative comments about a product or service would make them much less likely to purchase.
  • 54 percent say it would make them somewhat less likely to purchase.
• Internet users who are experienced in using blogs are more likely to be affected one way or another by comments about a product or service in a blog:
  • 17 percent of self-described bloggers say negative comments would make them much less likely to purchase.
  • 17 percent said positive comments would make them much more likely to purchase.
• One in three Canadian adults with internet access report having visited a blog (34 percent), with half of those saying they visited a blog within the past week (19 percent today; 10 percent yesterday; 22 percent two to seven days ago).
• Those more likely to have visited a blog:
• 36 percent of men vs. 31 percent of women.
• Internet users 18-34 years old: 45 percent - compared with 32 percent of 35-54-year-olds and 21 percent of those 55 and older.
• Those with higher education levels: 40 percent of university graduates; 36 percent of those with some postsecondary education; and 21 percent of those with high school education or less.

MarketingCharts offers up more findings from the Ipsos Reid study.