Less than a fifth of internet users welcome ads
January 18th, 2011Only 17% of internet users think online advertising is appealing and has an impact, according to research conducted by digital media research agency Connect Insight.
According to the survey, conducted among 1,000 people, internet users are more likely to define online advertising as intrusive, repetitive, unappealing and cheap.
Consumers want advertisers to do more to appeal to them, and understand the trade off between availability of content and tolerating advertising, according to Connect Insight. There is, however a far more fragile trade off when dealing with a medium that is uniquely personal and engaging.
The solution, according to the agency, is to understand the target audience and their digital lives. 16- to 34-year-olds, for example, are 24% more likely to think online advertising has impact and is appealing and 44% more likely to think it is relevant.
In fact half of internet users aged 55 plus actively avoid environments where advertising interrupts their usage on a site. They are more sensitive about advertising so the need for careful targeting is obvious. As consumers outgrow the youth market, and lifestyles and life stage begin to change, so do their digital identities, making targeting a challenge for online advertisers.
Faye Weeks, director of Connect Insight, said: “These headline figures only tell part of the story. The internet is a highly fragmented environment that users personalise based on their own needs and interests.
“It illustrates the need for advertisers to understand their target audience, their online behaviour, mindset and attitude to advertising in order to deliver impactful online communications.
“The fact that there are still so many negative associations with online advertising shows that advertisers have more learning to do about their target audiences online.”
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source to this post: Less than a fifth of internet users welcome ads
From the Advertising business website