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Survey: Programmatic ad personalization turns off consumers

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By: RickFerguson |

Posted on May 26, 2016

A new survey from Rapt Media calls into question the burgeoning digital advertising industry, which delivers personalised advertising through programmatic ad platforms and retargeting messages. According to the survey, consumers actively seek to avoid such content, preferring content that they discover organically. The survey should remind marketers of the importance of delivering content that drives loyalty and engagement through voluntary self-discovery, rather than through intrusive push messaging.

According to the survey of 1,000 consumers titled "The Future of Content: Rethinking Content Consumption," consumers want to discover digital content on their own and are skeptical of brands pushing online ads through interruptive channels. Insights reveal consumers want personalised content experiences that are meaningful, helpful and valuable to their specific needs and interests. But equally important is their empowerment in discovering it on their own. The Millennial generation - remember them?- is especially mistrusting of brands pushing interruptive online ads. Key findings from the survey include:

  • 95% of consumers surveyed take action to avoid seeing or receiving online ads
  • 5% say ads influence their purchase decisions
  • 57% of millennials block ad content because it is too pushy
  • 43% say online ads are not personalised to their interests, but 62% say the content they discover on their own is personalised
  • 61% say that even if content is customized, they still prefer to find it on their own
  • 46% say content they find on their own influences their purchase decisions

Money quote from Rapt Media CEO Erika Trautman:

�Although programmatic push messaging is a form of implicit personalisation, it is perceived by consumers as irrelevant and inauthentic. Explicit content personalisation through choice and discovery builds trust, increases engagement, and delivers a truly valuable experience starting at the point of creation. Millennials, in particular, are embracing the value of content discovery, forcing marketers to rethink the way content is created, distributed and consumed. The only way to compete in an increasingly crowded market is by providing valuable content for consumers to discover on their own and building relationships through interaction and engagement.�

The Bullet Point: The words may come from a press release, but in this case, they're right on. Empowered by social media and increased mobile connectivity, consumers now have more control over how they engage with brands. Rapt Media�s survey findings confirm that consumers have come to expect content personalisation along with the opportunity to shape their own experience.

Download the full Rapt Media report here.

More Info: 

http://www.raptmedia.com