Bad advertising harms brands and publishers at the same time
Poor advertising experiences have an impact on the image of both the brand and the publisher: According to a survey by Rakuten Marketing, four out of ten German online users surveyed believe that websites (38 percent) and advertisers (36 percent) are responsible for poor advertising media.
Only 25 percent of respondents believe that providers of advertising technologies are responsible. The survey is part of the "Save the Web" study series, which Rakuten Marketing conducted together with Qualtrics in April 2017. A total of 2,500 consumers worldwide were surveyed.
But users not only associate bad advertising with advertisers and websites in equal measure, they also punish both. Almost a third (30 percent) avoid websites on their desktop PC on which disruptive advertising has previously appeared. As many as 20 percent turn away from brands. Consumers are slightly more forgiving when it comes to mobile advertising, with 28% avoiding media and 17% avoiding brands after a negative user experience.
The advertising industry should understand this
The most annoying forms of advertising for users include pop-up banners and page takeovers (76%), pre- and mid-roll video advertising (70%) and mobile full-page ads (60%). When asked what message the advertising industry should understand, 65% responded: "That advertising is okay if the content is useful and does not disrupt my website use." More than half would like the industry to understand how disruptive advertising currently is and that it needs to change. However, users also encourage the industry: 53% emphasize that advertising can even be valuable for them - if it is geared towards the needs of the individual consumer and fits seamlessly into the editorial content.
Stefan Bernauer, Director DACH at Rakuten Marketing, sees this as a mandate for the market: "Despite the fast pace of life, publishers and brands must work together on better advertising, create standards and challenge them creatively." The question of brand safety also arises for both sides, says Bernauer: "Just as brands have a clear idea of the environments in which they want to be seen, publishers need to develop a clear understanding of reliable brand partners. Negative creatives or creatives that damage the user experience should be questioned in the interests of brand safety." Ultimately, all market participants benefit from this mutual demand for quality.
About the study series
These study results are part of the "Save the Web" study series, which Rakuten Marketing conducted together with Qualtrics in April 2017. In the computer-based survey, 2,500 consumers worldwide, 519 of them in Germany (aged 18 to 54), were asked about their opinions, their interaction behavior and their wishes for online advertising.
