WASHINGTON DC: American consumers greatly prefer TV ads over any other channel and this is because TV ads are regarded as entertaining while they also combine video and audio elements, a new survey has found.
Based on responses from more than 1,000 US consumers, research firm Clutch revealed that 58% prefer TV ads – a significantly higher proportion than those who opt for online ads (13%), social media ads (11%) or those in print (11%).
What’s more, the survey found that around two-thirds (65%) say they are able to recall TV ads more than from any other medium – and Clutch asserted that is because of their entertainment value, as shown by those aired during the Super Bowl.
Turning to digital media, of the nearly 25% who prefer online and social media advertising, 36% identify Facebook as their preferred platform, followed by banner ads (21%), video/interactive (19%) and Google Search (9%).
Importantly for advertisers, just 2% say they prefer retargeted ads, or ads from a site they recently visited, and this is because consumers find them invasive.
“People are very suspicious of retargeted ads,” said Julie Wierzbicki, an account director at design agency Giants & Gentlemen. “If you’re Googling ideas for a gift, and an advertisement for a website you just visited comes up, it can be creepy.”
The survey also confirmed that consumers appreciate ads from brands they trust (51%), while a similar proportion (53%) typically find humorous ads to be more memorable and enjoyable.
Indeed, according to Northwestern University’s 2018 Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review, all six ads that received an A grade were humorous.
Consumers also like ads if they feature a new product of interest (46%), if they are relatable (44%) or informative (44%), the Clutch survey found.
In other findings, the survey showed that about half of consumers say they dislike ads because they either didn’t learn anything from them (51%) or could not relate to the product (48%).
And about half of men (49%) say both technology and sports ads are among their favourites, while women prefer fashion/beauty (69%) as well as travel and leisure ads (54%).
Based on responses from more than 1,000 US consumers, research firm Clutch revealed that 58% prefer TV ads – a significantly higher proportion than those who opt for online ads (13%), social media ads (11%) or those in print (11%).
What’s more, the survey found that around two-thirds (65%) say they are able to recall TV ads more than from any other medium – and Clutch asserted that is because of their entertainment value, as shown by those aired during the Super Bowl.
Turning to digital media, of the nearly 25% who prefer online and social media advertising, 36% identify Facebook as their preferred platform, followed by banner ads (21%), video/interactive (19%) and Google Search (9%).
Importantly for advertisers, just 2% say they prefer retargeted ads, or ads from a site they recently visited, and this is because consumers find them invasive.
“People are very suspicious of retargeted ads,” said Julie Wierzbicki, an account director at design agency Giants & Gentlemen. “If you’re Googling ideas for a gift, and an advertisement for a website you just visited comes up, it can be creepy.”
The survey also confirmed that consumers appreciate ads from brands they trust (51%), while a similar proportion (53%) typically find humorous ads to be more memorable and enjoyable.
Indeed, according to Northwestern University’s 2018 Kellogg School Super Bowl Advertising Review, all six ads that received an A grade were humorous.
Consumers also like ads if they feature a new product of interest (46%), if they are relatable (44%) or informative (44%), the Clutch survey found.
In other findings, the survey showed that about half of consumers say they dislike ads because they either didn’t learn anything from them (51%) or could not relate to the product (48%).
And about half of men (49%) say both technology and sports ads are among their favourites, while women prefer fashion/beauty (69%) as well as travel and leisure ads (54%).
Sourced from Clutch, Northwestern University; additional content by WARC staff
