Advertising more relevant to millennials, finds study
Recent research has revealed that millennials are sharply divided from other generations in their perceptions of the relevancy of advertising.
Recent research has revealed that millennials are sharply divided from other generations in their perceptions of the relevancy of advertising. ‘Ad Campaigns Reimagined’, a report by Acxiom, highlights that more than twice as many millennials as any other age bracket believe that the adverts they see are now becoming more relevant to them.
The report reveals that 22% of consumers aged 18 to 34 believe that ads they see are increasing in relevancy, compared to just 10% of those aged 35+. In fact, the perceived relevancy of adverts generally tails off the older consumers get, suggesting a greater degree of cynicism in the older consumer. The millennial age group also seem more likely to respond emotionally to advertising, with 48% of millennials having had an emotional response to an advert in the last six months compared to 38% of older generations.
In addition, younger generations are more responsive to personalisation and retargeting, with 26% of 18 to 34 year olds agreeing that an ad they have seen online based on a previous search has influenced them to purchase, compared to just 12% of those aged 35 and over.
The question of whether older generations are more cynical with regards to advertising seems well-borne out by Acxiom’s survey data.
- Whereas 49% of 18 to 34 year olds believe they are unaffected by advertising, 71% of those 55+ believe this to be the case.
- A massive 41% of those 55+ believe that nothing will make them respond positively to an advert compared to just 15% of 18-24 year olds.
Jed Mole, European Marketing Director, Acxiom commented, “The fact that millennials seem to react to advertising more positively across-the-board poses an interesting question. Is it reflective of this age group’s greater exposure to the online world, or do we as consumers simply become more cynical as we age? Either way the lesson is the same for marketers, in that whoever they are targeting they need to craft authentic messages with emotional resonance, and deliver those messages on a consistent, personalised level to consumers across channels and devices.”
