Consumers ignore 'creepy, insulting and rude' targeted advertising

Consumers ignore 'creepy, insulting and rude' targeted advertising

EXCLUSIVE: Almost 50% of Australians don’t want targeted advertising on social media and describe them as “creepy” and “insulting”, new Ipsos research has found.

Australians either don’t like targeted ads or consciously ignore them, Laura Demasi, research director for The Mind & Mood report, told B&T.

“You’d be hard pressed to find anyone say something positive about the practice,” Demasi said.

Women over 40 stood out in the qualitative Digital Communities report for being targeted with “crudely stereotypical advertising”.

One over-40 female respondent complained about receiving ’53 year old mum looks 37’ and dating for seniors ads: “I look at them and think, hurrumph, why am I getting that?”

Another said: “I’ve got single on my status and now they advertising all these dating sites on the side. It’s rude.”

Those involved in the study also described targeted ads as “creepy” and said it feels like they are being watched by Big Brother.

“It’s so much harder to discover anything new these days. It’s like you have this digital ghost of who you are hovering over you. It’s horrifying,” one respondent said.

But consumers are not adverse to engaging with brands on social media – as long as they are given the option.

“You have the polar opposite with opt-in forms of digital advertising like following Facebook brand pages,” Demasi explained.

“Giving people a choice to engage with you is incredibly powerful. They have some sense of ownership, they feel like they’re getting something out of it, and they like you for it.”

Offering freebies is one way to build brand engagement on social media, according to the study which found 49% of Australians feel more connected to brands that offer discounts.

The figure jumps up to 58% among women but drops to 36% for men.




Please login with linkedin to comment

Latest News

Scroll Media Recruits Costa Panagos From Twitch
  • Advertising

Scroll Media Recruits Costa Panagos From Twitch

Digital publisher network Scroll Media has employed ex-Amazon Twitch gaming executive Costa Panagos (lead image) to strengthen its Scroll Gaming capability. Panagos is highly experienced in game advertising and media sales professional with two years in account management at Twitch and three years in media sales at News Corp, so will bring his extensive media agency […]

Year13, Microsoft & KPMG Australia Launch AI Course For Gen Zs
  • Technology

Year13, Microsoft & KPMG Australia Launch AI Course For Gen Zs

School-leaver service Year13 has launched a new Artificial Intelligence course to upskill young people in AI, made in collaboration with Microsoft and KPMG, at an event to rally industry support behind youth AI fluency. The free online course AI Amplified which is part of Year13’s Academy aims to provide all young people with the opportunity […]

General Motors Snares Heath Walker From Scania
  • Advertising

General Motors Snares Heath Walker From Scania

General Motors has announced the appointment of Heath Walker (lead image) as the new marketing director for GM Australia and New Zealand, effective April 23, 2024. Walker brings a wealth of marketing and communications experience gained from working across various industries, including IT, sporting, and auto – notably Tesla, Nissan and most recently, Scania in […]