invy (Imby) Releases 'Referral Marketing White Paper 2026' – Introducing 'Product/Service Introduction Behavior': Referrals Shift from 'Incentive-Driven Word-of-Mouth' to 'Altruistic Gifts for Friends'

Creative Hope Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Hiroo Fujii) has conducted a "Survey on Product/Service Introduction Behavior" targeting 360 men and women in their 20s to 60s nationwide for its referral marketing cloud "invy," and has released the findings as the "Referral Marketing White Paper 2026."

In the current marketing environment, tightening Cookie regulations leading to a decline in targeting accuracy and a significant rise in advertising CPA pose serious challenges hindering corporate business growth. Amidst this, there is a demand for a strategic shift from traditional referral marketing as a "campaign for new acquisitions" to a strategy of "datafying customer trust and utilizing it for CRM (Customer Relationship Management)."

This white paper, based on the latest survey results, which serve as a prerequisite for data-driven referral marketing strategies, examines consumer insights hidden behind mere "introductions" and provides hints for "referral marketing strategy design" utilizing market data from both systemic and operational perspectives.

Download "Referral Marketing White Paper 2026": https://s.creativehope.co.jp/invy/referral-marketing-whitepaper2026

<Request when citing or reprinting survey results> When citing these survey results, please state "Creative Hope Co., Ltd.・invy 'Survey on Product/Service Introduction Behavior'" as the source, along with the URL of this article.

Excerpt from Survey Results

### Experience of "introducing" products/services, and "introducing to multiple people"? Referral Trends in Comparison with 2020

Referrals are shifting from "quantity" to "matching with the recipient." A "new normal" for digitally savvy consumers.

The general experience of introducing products/services to people decreased from 45.9% in 2020 to 33.1% in 2026. On the other hand, the enthusiastic segment that uses campaigns to "introduce to multiple people" slightly increased to 27.2%. In today's information-saturated world, there is a tendency to prioritize "information matching degree" – reaching specific individuals deeply rather than spreading information indiscriminately.

### When actually using a referred service, what is the most important deciding factor?

"Trust in the referrer" becomes the biggest motivation for use, surpassing specs and incentives.

The biggest reason for using a referred service was "because the person who introduced it is trustworthy (26.2%)." In an era where abundant information is easily available through social media, AI, and influencers, while product specs and the generosity of referral benefits are important, whether a personal trust relationship is provided through UX, i.e., "who is saying it," affects purchases and registrations.

### Reasons for hesitating to introduce to acquaintances, and the biggest psychological hurdle preventing referrals?

Fear of "damaging trust"? Social risk is the biggest barrier.

The biggest reason for hesitating to refer was "I don't want to introduce anything unless I truly believe it's good (27.4%)." Meanwhile, 100% of information-sensitive individuals responded, "I'm afraid of losing my trust by introducing something of poor quality." It is understood that "psychological hurdles" that cannot be resolved solely by systemic approaches like increasing benefits can become a bottleneck in the operation of referral programs.

Furthermore, the tendency to feel "sorry for causing trouble to the recipient with the referral procedures and registration work" is particularly seen among seniors, and companies are required to find solutions for "how to minimize the recipient's effort and create a zero-friction experience."

### What are the characteristics of the "innovator segment" driving trends in referral behavior?

86.4% of innovators have experience with "multiple referrals." They utilize referrals as a "problem-solving tool."

This survey applied "Innovator Theory" to classify consumers by information sensitivity.

Among the "innovator segment," who adopt new information and services faster than anyone else, the percentage of those with experience introducing to multiple people at once dramatically increased to 86.4% (up 25.5 points compared to 2020).

The trends in referral reasons show that they use referrals not merely as "advantageous announcements" but as "altruistic gifts" to solve someone's problems. Such customers with a high "referral contribution" can be considered to possess "hidden assets" that cannot be measured solely by purchase amount or sales contribution.

### How do referral hurdles change by age and gender? What are consumers' true feelings about referral campaign benefits?

Women and seniors show strong aversion to designs where "the referrer's gain is transparent."

Regarding the experience of being referred, 44.4% of women feel "used for the referrer's benefit."