The world is bursting with ads—and in the vast majority of cases, they go unnoticed or unrecalled.
While it can be tough to quantify, the average consumer is exposed to around 400 ads on a typical day, and yet most of these end up being the marketing equivalent of background noise or elevator music.
According to a recent Harris QuestDIY survey we ran with a representative sample of 1,006 respondents in the United States, the average consumer isn’t really processing the barrage of advertising they’re hit with on a daily basis—everywhere from streaming platforms like Hulu to Digital-Out-of-Home campaigns at gas stations or bus stops.
77% of respondents estimated that they’re exposed to fewer than 100 ads a day. Only 7% more accurately estimated they’re exposed to 250+.
This means vast swaths of marketing budget is being squandered on spots that consumers aren’t remembering—if they’re even noticing them in the first place.
What’s more, consumers seem increasingly willing to forego cookies, one of the prime tools for any marketer looking to track online behavior and target accordingly.
In the near future, some sources estimate that 90% of browsers will be cookie-less. And according to Jayson Gillespie, Head of Analytics & Data Science at RTB House, around 60 to 80% of respondents are currently in the habit of turning cookies off.
Why? Our QuestDIY survey solicited open-end responses, which unearthed recurring themes:
•Fear of computer viruses or scams
•Unnecessary data collection
•An aversion to bespoke or personalized ad experiences online
•Concern that cookies will “clutter” or “bog down” one’s phone or computer
•Avoiding being “tracked” or “followed” in a way that infringes on personal privacy
•General annoyance or frustration with cookie pop-ups
The good news: There are tech-forward solutions to keep you ahead of the curve, while respecting privacy regulations and security.
Your brand might have a wealth of first-party data, for instance, that’s being wasted—and that could be activated using the right tools.
And with a platform like SmartAssets (part of the Stagwell Marketing Cloud suite) you can be sure your creative is better set up to attract eyeballs, attention, and conversion. Creating more focused ads, with a comprehensive understanding of your customers and what drives them to click, is a recipe for cutting through the noise—with or without cookies in the mix.
