Younger viewers find targeted video ads more intrusive

Younger viewers of online video and TV find targeted ads more intrusive than older viewers do, according to STRATA.

A recent survey revealed that 64% of respondents who found targeted ads more invasive than non-targeted ads were between 18 and 44, compared to 36% of those over 45.

Younger viewers also found online video ads to be more ‘annoying’ than their older counterparts, with 43% of 18-29 year olds saying that online video ads are more vexing than TV ads, compared to 24% of those in the over 60 group.

When asked why respondents would voluntarily watch an online video ad, over half (51%) said they viewed because an ad was funny. 16% said that they skip an ad if it runs repeatedly, while 15% said that poor targeting was the main reason for skipping.

Just 10% of respondents said that ads are always or usually targeted correctly.

The majority of survey respondents said that they would not pay a premium to avoid online video ads, with just under a fifth saying they would. Of those that said they were willing to pay to avoid video ads, 54% were 18-44, 45% were over 45, 85% were 45-60 and 84% were over 60.

“We continue to see strong growth in the video advertising market, and most find value in ads that are helpful of entertaining,” said Joy Baer, president of STRATA.

“That being said, 90% of respondents said that ads are targeted incorrectly at least some of the time. As the industry gains better understanding of the online video landscape, we all need to work on creating the best possible ads and effectively target the right audiences.”