LONDON: When it comes to researching their summer holiday destinations, two-thirds (65%) of young Gen Z British consumers prefer to do so on a laptop rather than a smartphone (24%), a new survey has revealed.

That compares to around half (53%) of UK consumers of all generations who conduct their holiday research on laptops, with a fifth (20%) opting to use smartphones and tablets.

And these device preferences extend to making bookings, with 53% of all UK consumers still using a laptop to make a purchase, while around a quarter (23%) use a smartphone.

These are some of the headline findings from Teads, a video advertising marketplace, which commissioned research firm Censuswide to poll more than 2,000 UK consumers about how they research and book holidays as well as the role video ads play in the path to purchase.

The research found that British holiday shoppers spend three hours reading online content before committing to a trip and that millennials are more likely to book a holiday via their phone (40%) – although just a quarter (23%) of Gen Z consumers make bookings on this device.

Turning to the impact of video ads in driving purchase behaviour, the survey revealed that two-thirds (65%) of consumers take some kind of action after viewing one.

According to Teads – and it must be remembered that the company specialises in video advertising – more than a third (36%) search online after seeing a video ad, a quarter (25%) check online reviews and 21% click on the ad.

Some 28% of UK holiday shoppers prefer video ads that contain personalised recommendations, the report said, while nearly half (46%) are willing to share personal data to receive bespoke destination information. This rises to half of millennials (52%) and Gen Z (50%).

Furthermore, Teads reported that consumers are open to interactive video ads, with a third (32%) keen to explore destinations further through 360-video.

Meanwhile, 16% – rising to a quarter (23%) of millennials – say they would be interested in being able to question chatbots before making a purchase.

“Booking a holiday is one of the biggest purchases consumers will make all year and they spend a lot of time researching online to find the right fit for them,” said Justin Taylor, UK MD at Teads.

“It’s clear that video advertising has a big impact on this decision-making process and by incorporating interactive elements, such as chatbots or data capture forms, these ads can become even more powerful.”

Sourced from Teads; additional content by WARC staff