Client marketers must stop treating online advertising as a way of turning consumers into sales fodder and start treating the discipline as a way to build close, one-to-one relationships or face a mass turn-off.
That is the stark conclusion of a new international study into consumer attitudes towards online advertising, which shows consumers are fed up with the industry’s lack of creativity.
According to the research, carried out by Conversant, almost half (47%) of Germans want more experiential advertising, compared to just 16% of the UK and USA, and just 11% of the French.
Consumers in Germany are also the least tolerant of ads as a means of providing free content, with just 30% admitting that they understand this, compared to 41% of the UK.
Conversant senior vice-president Elliott Clayton said: “Both the British and Germans are united in pushing for better standards of advertising.
“Half of Germans and 47% of Brits dislike being followed around the web by the same ads, as well as 39% of France, showing that many brands are using retargeting poorly. Clearly, a great deal needs to change if advertising is to achieve its objective of building brands effectively.”
Despite these objections to online advertising, 80% of British and US consumers say that more traditional forms of advertising still have a place in the world.
However, many demanded change across the industry, with almost half (48%) of Brits 40% and 40% of the French believing the ad industry needs to change.
Clayton concluded: “What consumers want from advertising is coming through loud and clear. Better quality ads, greater relevancy, and better handling of data.
“It’s high time that brands realise that online ads aren’t just a quick way of pushing more visitors into the top of their sales funnel, and instead, should be treated as a way of building a close, one-to-one relationship with both existing and potential customers. In return, advertisers will see higher conversion rates.”
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