Let’s face it—great marketing that moves the needle can be difficult. If you’ve ever stared at your campaign results in bewilderment, or pulled your hair trying to keep up with what young consumers want, you’re not alone. The media ecosystem has now reached “peak complexity,” according to Media2020: Refresh, a new report from media consultancy firm, MediaSense, and CMOs are shifting priorities to keep up. Here are some statistics that prove that marketing is more complicated than ever.
46 Percent Of Teens Distrust Ads; 58 Percent Are Influenced By Them
Say what, now? Teenagers are hard enough to understand, but this next figure will make matters worse. Apparently teens are split on whether or not to trust the ads they see, but admit to be influenced by them, according to new data from YouGov. While 47 percent of US internet users ages 13-to-17 found ads to be at least somewhat trustworthy, 46 percent felt the opposite way and six percent had not formed an opinion on the matter. Despite these concerns, 58 percent of American teens agree that advertising helps guide their desires and purchase decisions.
Ad Fraud Cost Marketers $7.4 Billion In 2016
A report by Forrester says that programmatic media and video are the primary causes of ad fraud spending “wastage.” If the problem is not addressed, that number may grow to $10.9 billion by 2021, the company warns. The report describes a digital advertising supply chain “riddled with problems, most directly connected to the lack of transparency in ad tech. The result is wasted time, effort, and money and lackluster ROI.”
58 Percent Of Consumers Dislike When Brands Get Political, But Millennials Love It
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t? In this turbulent political and social climate, brands may want to assure their followers that they hold certain views and are doing what they feel to be right. Unfortunately, doing so seems to anger about half of consumers no matter which way you stand.
A consumer study fielded by SSRS found that 58 percent dislike when brands get political and are more likely to avoid brands that take a position contrary to their beliefs—for example, brands perceived to be racist, anti-LGBTQ or sexist.
Multicultural millennials don’t mind at all, however. A study by Buzz Marketing Group found that 83 percent like it when brands make a public stand for or against issues they believe in.
68 Percent Of Consumers Tolerate Ads
According to a report from Kantar Media, 68 percent of connected consumers either tolerate or like advertising and 36 percent feel that advertising is changing for the better. However, the same survey found that over 40 percent had no idea that messages from brands in printed media form is advertising.
Young consumers have an especially hard time identifying ads, too. Eighty-two percent of middle-schoolers couldn’t distinguish between an ad labeled “sponsored content” and a real news story on a website, according to a Stanford University study.
Just 11 Percent Of Marketers Understand FTC Policies
The FTC has been cracking down on ad transparency, but if you’ve never been in trouble, or consider your brand to be honest, you may not have taken the time to keep up with the latest regulations.
According to a survey conducted by Lightspeed GMI and Research Now, only 11 percent of marketers reported being aware of or having an understanding FTC’s policies, while 56 percent said they were either not aware of, or not familiar with them.
Influencers—perhaps because it’s a major source of income—have educated themselves on the subject a bit more. The study found that 60 percent of US influencers said they’re aware of or understand the guidelines, and another 23 percent said they’re aware of or at least somewhat familiar with them.