How Consumers Perceive Ads

Behavioral Targeting Is Top of Mind

Report by Max Willens  |  Dec 13, 2024
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Executive Summary
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Consumers are very good at tuning out digital advertising
Most consumers have taken steps to limit or shape the ads they see and hear
Most consumers have noticed ads that use behavioral targeting
Consumers are more aware of behavioral targeting than demographic targeting
Targeting does not make an ad seem substantially more intrusive
Consumers don’t think advertising works on them
How marketers can respond
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
Consumers are fairly good at ignoring or tuning out ads. But they are very aware when ads target them based on their online activity. However, that knowledge does not automatically result in a more negative perception of the ads themselves.
Topics
Digital Advertising
Consumer Attitudes on Marketing
Consumer Privacy & Security
US
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Consumers are very good at tuning out digital advertising
Most consumers have taken steps to limit or shape the ads they see and hear
Most consumers have noticed ads that use behavioral targeting
Consumers are more aware of behavioral targeting than demographic targeting
Targeting does not make an ad seem substantially more intrusive
Consumers don’t think advertising works on them
How marketers can respond
Sources
Media Gallery

Consumers have a spotty understanding of how their personal data is used to show them targeted online ads. But they are very aware when advertisers use their past digital activity as part of their targeting strategy.

Key Question: How do consumers feel about the use of their personal information for ad targeting? How does it shape their thoughts about ads?

Targeting Does Not Make Consumers View Ads as More Intrusive (% of US consumers who have noticed an ad vs. find it at least
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Key Stat: No ad targeting method is viewed as “very intrusive” or worse by a majority of US consumers, per our survey.

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Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. Consumers are very good at tuning out digital advertising
  3. Most consumers have taken steps to limit or shape the ads they see and hear
  4. Most consumers have noticed ads that use behavioral targeting
  1. Consumers are more aware of behavioral targeting than demographic targeting
  2. Targeting does not make an ad seem substantially more intrusive
  3. Consumers don’t think advertising works on them
  4. How marketers can respond
  1. Sources
  2. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

Targeting Does Not Make Consumers View Ads as More Intrusive (% of US consumers who have noticed an ad vs. find it at least "very intrusive," by ad format, May 2024)Consumers Often Miss Ads as They Use the Internet (% of US consumers, May 2024)
More Than Three-Quarters of US Consumers Have Used At Least One Privacy Tool (% of US consumers, May 2024)Nearly 8 in 10 US Consumers Say They've Noticed Ads Based On Their Search History (% of US consumers, May 2024)
US Consumers Are More Likely to Notice Behavioral Targeting Than Demographic Targeting (% of US consumers who selected "always" or "often," May 2024)Less Than One-Third of US Consumers Think Targeted Ads Are Even Moderately Influential (% of US consumers, May 2024)
Gen Z Is Almost 3 Times as Likely as Gen X to Find Targeted Ads at Least Very Influential (% of US consumers, by generation, May 2024)

authors

Max Willens

Contributors

Rahul Chadha
Director, Report Editing
Vladimir de Leon
Chart Editor
Na Li
Director, Primary Research
Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf
Jennifer Pearson
VP, Research
Naomi Rebuelta
Copy Editor
Emman Velasco
Chart Editor
Yoram Wurmser
Principal Analyst