Despite their preference for ad blocking software, young consumers are still happy to see ads from brands that are relevant and don’t disrupt their social media habits a new study has found.
The US study by Defy Media’s Acumen Research and TMI Strategy interviewed 1300 people aged between 13 and 14 on their views of digital advertising.
Some 66 per cent of the respondents admitted to using ad blocking software, however, 80 per cent of them understood that ads were there to make the publisher money and were part of the social media experience.
While 84 per cent of the research group said they would not pay to have an ad-free experience when using social media.
When it came to ad blocking software 60 per cent used in for Facebook, 53 per cent for Instagram, 51 per cent for Snapchat, 59 per cent for Twitter and 60 per cent for YouTube.
The other chief findings of the survey were:
• 80 per cent believe ads are a regular part of life
• 78 per cent weren’t offended by product placement
• 62 per cent follow at least one brand on a platform
• 44 per cent subscribe to a branded newsletter
• 34 per cent would unfollow a brand if they don’t like or agree with its political, environmental or social stance
• 53 per cent would stop buying a brand if it doesn’t live up to their expectations of social responsibility
Commenting on the study, Defy Media CMO Andy Tu, said: “These numbers aren’t all doom and gloom for the ad world. But it’s a dose of reality for executives. The old way of doing things isn’t going to fly with young people anymore.” Tu’s comments reported on the US industry site AdWeek.
“They’ll also easily stop following a brand if they feel turned off by it,” said Tu. “If it feels boring or repetitive, or if it clogs your feed by constantly purveying content.”
Tu added that marketers needed to stop playing from “an old playbook”, adding “The brands to watch for are the ones who have never advertised on television in the first place. When I look at them, I’m way less scared about the future.”
