Responsible handling of data leads to a mutual benefit for advertisers and their audiences, according to a new survey . Seedtag, a contextual advertising specialist, released findings from its survey, conducted by data analysis and market research firm YouGov. The survey examined consumers’ privacy concerns and attitudes towards advertising across Europe. The main aim was to gain a direct understanding of consumer perception of advertising and attitudes towards privacy and security.
Seedtag revealed three key insights from the survey’s findings:
1. Data privacy benefits both consumers and brands.
Consumers see brands in a more favourable light when their data is treated responsibly and their privacy respected.
According to the data, 82 per cent of the respondents feel positive about brands ending their use of personal data for targeting. Of the respondents, 53 per cent reject cookies on certain websites, 32 per cent deny cookies on all websites they visit, and 12 per cent fill in false information while filling out cookie consent forms. These findings indicate most consumers are reluctant to share their data with marketers, with only 17 per cent sharing positive sentiments regarding advertisers’ use of their data.
More than 50 per cent of users with negative sentiments towards personal-data-derived targeted advertising consider the advertisements irrelevant to them. On the other hand, 47 per cent think they’re unlikely to notice ads even within high-quality content.
As displayed by the data, most consumers perceive advertisements negatively and consider them invasive. Thus, reflecting poorly on the brands, leading to negative perceptions of them.
2. Consumers do not mind being served advertising in exchange for free content
The survey found there’s a spectrum to how consumers feel about advertising, with 58 per cent of participants opting for ad-supported methods in exchange for free content instead of paying for subscription models. Thus, consumers are more likely to be open to interacting with advertisements in order to consume content they enjoy.
Brands can leverage this finding to their advantage by adopting a new advertising model that respects consumer data privacy, as many consumers are still willing to be served ads.
3. Relevant ads attract attention when placed in the right context
Advertisements placed with consideration to context are more likely to grab attention, according to 53 per cent of users. These respondents said that the ads embedded in quality content are more likely to grab their attention and remain in their memory.
Half of the participants considered creativity and visual content among their top two most important factors in the appeal of the advertisement.
Out of the respondents, 64 per cent felt positive sentiments about brands that embedded their ads in content that interested them.
Contextual advertising, in addition to value exchange advertising, can be used by brands to provide positive and effective advertising experiences to consumers in a cookieless world.
Sherry Mansour, MENA sales director at Seedtag said, “Consumers are increasingly taking control over their own data and privacy expectations. The research has demonstrated that consumers understand what they want and expect from brands and publishers. Different countries have dramatically different requirements and both brands and publishers need to understand this and tailor the approach depending on the region. This is a huge opportunity, consumers seem to support the move to a cookieless environment, so as an industry we need to look for alternatives that don’t require the need for personal data.”
The survey was conducted by targeting 3,000 internet users across six countries: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. It highlighted their privacy concerns and preference for being targeted online. Focusing on what users valued most about online advertising, it also explored the context in which the ads were displayed. To ensure that respondents were representative of the real-life population, Seedtag’s expert research team analysed the ages in comparison to gender and region.
