Ads That Integrate Don’t Grate
Effectively advertising to young consumers today requires thoughtfulness.
You’re reading Section 1 of 4 of the DEFY Media and DoSomething Strategic “Brand Love & Ad Nausea” report. Check out the Intro to the report.
Let me just start by saying that while there are good ads, funny ads, moving ads, and interesting ads, in general, no one really LOVES ads.
With old-school television we had to just deal with it when our fave show cut to commercial. But for young people today who have grown up getting content on their terms, their response to ads can be more visceral.
Increasingly young consumers are going out of their way in an attempt to go “ad free” on social across both mobile and desktop/laptop devices. In the research DEFY Media and DoSomething Strategic conducted of young people ages 13–25, we found that 66% of those surveyed reported using an ad blocker on at least one device and 29% of young people using ad blockers on both mobile and desktop devices across the the platforms.
The pursuit of going ad free goes well beyond simply downloading an ad blocker; strategies change by device and even once again by platform on each device. The awareness and sophistication of those studied in our report show that avoiding ads may require a suite of blockers unique to each device and each platform. Young people’s strong disaffection for ads motivates them to seek solutions and take the time necessary to implement multiple blockers.
Young consumers’ use of ad blockers may derive from the media environment in which they came of age; specifically, a world of nearly infinite media choices controllable by the user. Young consumers are simply exercising that control.
The awareness and sophistication of young consumers also may factor into the high use of ad blockers. Today’s youth are conscious of digital tracking techniques and 57% say that “targeted ads violate my privacy.”
57% of respondents say that “targeted ads violate my privacy.”
Skip, Stop, or Jump
Even as the demo goes out of their way to avoid ads, young people generally accept that ads at this point are part of the viewing experience with 80% saying ads on the internet are a “regular part of life.” But, even if they aren’t blocking them, they still want optionality and to view the ads on their terms.
When given the choice to skip or scroll past ads, they will most certainly do so: on the two video platforms most habituated to ad skipping young people absolutely took them up on it.
Let’s not look at this as doom and gloom for digital advertising; this also has been happening in television where people skip past ads on their DVR’d shows. We’re talking about an empowered consumer today, so they won’t just tune you out when they have other options.
We’re talking about an empowered consumer today, so they won’t just tune you out when they have other options.
And when it comes to ads or brands they don’t like; young people aren’t exactly passive.
Over one-third of young people go beyond merely ignoring a campaign they come across on social if they don’t like it, and will actively block offending advertisers, hide ads, or even report ads where possible (i.e. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).
Since Snapchat and YouTube don’t offer the option of blocking or hiding ads, the platforms engender significantly higher rates of both active and passive ad avoidance. Avoidance takes the form of clicking “Next Snap” or the “Skip” button as soon as it appears. With YouTube, some report going the extra mile to do “something else until the ad ended” (34%) or moving on to another video (6%).
The stronger active response to Snapchat and YouTube ads may reflect the medium (video) and purpose of these platforms — to fulfill various needs by watching and sharing said videos. Ads can feel more intrusive when interrupting a video, which prompts a stronger reaction.
TL;DR
Young people want to feel in control of their viewing environments. Tools like “Skip,” “Hide,” or “Report” empower them to shape their social experience and tailor it to their liking.
So why are young people skipping your ads? Read Section 2 of the report and find out!
Research & Editorial Team
Meredith Ferguson, Managing Director, DoSomething Strategic
Andy Tu, CMO, DEFY Media
Charlotte Horseman, Data and Research Analyst, DoSomething Strategic
Nichole Becker, VP, Research, DEFY Media
Irene Pedruelo, Editor, Director of Research , DoSomething.org
Methodology
Data was collected via an online survey distributed to individuals age 13–25 years old living in the United States. Removed from the analysis were individuals with completion times of less than 5 minutes and those younger than 13 years or older than 25 years.
Results have been weighted to create representations across gender, age, and parents’ education to match those reported by the U.S. Census Bureau. The final sample includes 1,334 observations. With an estimated U.S. population of 59 million 13–25 year olds, this sample size allows for a 2.7% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.
About DoSomething Strategic
DoSomething Strategic is the data-driven social impact consultancy arm of DoSomething.org. We help brands and organizations engage young people for positive social change. We combine proprietary data with a deep understanding of what young people care about to help clients build relationships with this unique demographic and activate them for social good. Our expertise is grounded in moving 6 million DoSomething.org members — ages 13–25 in every area code in the United States and in 131 countries worldwide — to take social action, and we’ve been doing this work successfully day in and day out for over 25.
About DEFY Media
DEFY Media is built on the idea that media should be as meaningful and dynamic as the audiences it’s made for, creating expansive and authentic content brands — Smosh, Screen Junkies, Clevver, AWEME, Break, and Made Man — that young people obsess over. Powered by in-house studios and the most adept talents and producers, DEFY has uniquely scaled its digital sensibility, expanding 75 regularly scheduled programs across more than 25 video platforms, including SVOD, television, and film. In a world where viewers hold the power, DEFY’s brands have earned more than 110 million followers on YouTube and the world’s largest social platforms combined, driving more than 800MM total video views each month through content that matters to young audiences.
