Three in five Britons believe online advertising is neither relevant nor well-targeted, according to a YouGov survey.
The research, carried out for ad network Collective, found that brands aren’t connecting with the right audiences and wasting money on ineffective campaigns.
Just 25% found targeted ads relevant to them in any way.
More than half of the respondents (57%) said they would choose targeted ads over a blanket approach if it meant there were fewer of them.
A fifth (21%) said they would never trust an ad displayed on a site they hadn’t previously visited, whether or not it was targeted. This attitude was strong among consumers in the North of England and Wales, although Londoners were least likely to trust an ad from a site they didn’t know.
“The findings show consumers are receptive to receiving targeted messages, but also that the current approach is failing to connect brands with their audiences,” said Steven Filler, UK MD of Collective.
“We currently see two extremes being used to target consumers: retargeting users who have visited a site before, often at high frequency, or generic brand messaging targeted at sites rather than audiences,” he added. “If brands are to make a strong connection with consumers, they’ll need to use genuine audience insight to target the right user with tailored ad formats in good quality environments.”
The research coincides with US ad network Collective’s launch in the UK, part of its European expansion plans.
“The whole data arena is increasing in size and scale, and a lot of the US data players like Bluekai and Experian are moving over here,” said Filler. “Agencies and clients have becomed more tuned into using credible market-leading data sources.”
