Study: Ads On Social Media Viewed As The Least Trusted By Consumers

A new report into the advertising viewing habits of consumers has found that 63 per cent of respondents view ads more favourably when they are shown on traditional channels such as TV.

The report by global marketing industry body the CMO Council and titled “How Brands Annoy Fans” was based on the responses from 2000 people across the UK, US and Canada. You can download a copy of the report here.

It found that despite delivering the second highest volume of advertising messages, social media platforms were the least trusted platform by consumers. Interestingly, the report found the same ad was better received on traditional platforms over the likes of YouTube or Facebook.

The study found that 40 per cent of respondents had installed ad blocking software to block ads while a further 14 per cent planned on adding the software to their devices in the near future.

Respondents found ads around social media where less trustworthy and often appeared next to objectionable content (as Google found out recently when a number of global brands boycotted YouTube after their ads appeared next to hate, homophobic and racist content).

Some 60 per cent of those surveyed said that offensive content appearing on the likes of Facebook and Twitter had meant they now “consume more content from trusted, well-known news sources and established media channels”.

A further 48 per cent said they’d abandon brands – even ones they loved – if their ads were shown around objectionable content.

In other findings:

• The most annoying digital advertising formats, even when appearing on trusted media channels, were pop-up ads (22 per cent ) and auto-playing video ads (17 per cent).

• Eighty-six percent of consumers are either extremely concerned, very concerned or moderately worried about how easily they are directed or redirected to hateful or offensive content.

• Attention to digital advertising overall was notably low, with only 14 per cent fully engaged and 58 per cent saying they pay attention only when the ads interest them.

• Just over 40 per cent of consumers have already installed ad-blocking software on their devices while another 14% said they planned to add these features.

Commenting on the study, Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council. said: “CMOs and brand advertisers are increasingly concerned about various aspects of digital and programmatic advertising, including concerns about their ads showing up next to offensive content.

“This consumer survey demonstrates that those concerns are well founded. Advertising placed next to objectionable content is damaging to a brand, while ads that accompany more trusted content and media are more accepted.”

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Advertising Standards Bureau The CMO Council