A recent Linkedin and Harris Poll study of consumers and advertisers involved in the advertising decision-making process revealed disparate views. Apparently, those who determine the look-and-feel of an ad campaign are not necessarily in sink with their target audience’s opinion. Still, both sides agree on some approaches, such as ads that are entertaining or funny.
Both advertisers and consumers like ads that amuse: 34% of consumers and 41% of advertisers say entertaining ads are very effective; 33% of consumers and 32% of advertisers say funny ads are very effective.
Another point of agreement is that neither scary or guilt-inducing ads are effective. Consumers are more vehement in such objections than advertisers: 41% of consumers and 32% of advertisers don’t like scary ads; 27% of consumers and 18% of advertisers say ads about a serious topic that make people feel slightly guilty are not at all effective.
Among the biggest disconnects between those who put out advertising and its target audience is the area of imparting knowledge. Over half of advertisers believe that ads that make people stop and think (53%) and ads that give people new information (51%) are highly effective. In contrast, less than a third of consumers agree. This supports the now long-term trend of backlash against preaching ads—for instance, against green-product claims.
A quarter of the advertisers surveyed also think that integrating ads into the feel of their medium—e.g., a TV program—makes them more effective. Only 7% of consumers agree.
In the current economic climate, advertising and consumer response are increasingly shifting to the concept of value. Some of it is straightforward: 61% of advertisers are promoting sales, coupons and discounts, and 57% of consumers are responding. More conceptual approaches, such as ads that employ empathy or cheerleading of the “we’ve made it through before, we’ll do it again” variety, do not work nearly as well.
Advertisers are also discovering new opportunities. For instance, only 18% are currently running campaigns along the lines of “luxuries for less,” while 34% of consumers say the concept is highly appealing given strapped budgets. Such a positive response is even more pronounced among younger audiences, with over half (51%) of 18- to 34-year-olds saying they find “luxuries for less” type of advertising very effective.
Further information on the study, “Advertisers and Audiences: How Their Views on Advertising Effectiveness Differ,” is available in this PDF download.