Six in 10 consumers will leave a brand if it’s advertised next to ‘misinformation’

Stay at home’ content consumption is on the rise amid cost of living concerns, but if your ad doesn’t catch interest in the first five seconds, you lose your customer’s attention…

Six in 10 (61%) consumers are less likely to use or purchase from a brand again if it is advertised next to mis- or disinformation, while 82% claim they have been exposed to misinformation on social media.

Levels of trust are dangerously flaky, with 68% of the 16,600 respondents to a new survey across 18 countries concerned that mis- or disinformation is on the rise, warning marketers to be aware of the content their ads are placed next to.

Several parties are highlighted as needing to take responsibility for the problem, with 68% seeing this lying ‘moderately’ or ‘completely’ at their government’s door. But 67% felt platform owners should bear responsibility in tackling these issues, 66% felt that this should sit with publishers, while 58% cited brands themselves.

Brands that actively fight against mis- and disinformation could see the most opportunities, with 69% of those surveyed saying they valued this, and the same proportion stating that genuine and authentic brands are those that appeal.

Attention economy – YouTube holds pole position

The findings reported in Four Fundamental Shifts in Advertising and Media, by digital media measurement platform DoubleVerify, reveal that 66% of consumers need an ad to capture their interest in the first five seconds to get – and keep – their attention.

Just over half the survey respondents said they used digital content to inform planned purchases more often than pre-pandemic days. If an ad is relevant to content they are looking at, 67% are more likely to pay attention to it.

YouTube dominates as the platform where an ad is most likely to grab a consumer’s attention – cited as the number one in 15 out of the 18 countries in the survey. Australia, Mexico and the US however ranked YouTube second, with the platform pipped to the post by Facebook.

Across all respondents, 47% cited YouTube as the platform where ads would most likely grab attention, followed by Facebook (39%) and Instagram (32%).

But time and engagement with TikTok and local platforms is growing, with 43% of 18 to 24 year olds saying they plan to spend more time on TikTok in the next 12 months. Japanese social network LINE was ranked by the country’s consumers as second in their ranking of platforms most likely to grab attention with ads, while 32% of Vietnamese consumers cited messaging app Zalo and 17% of Brazilians highlighted social video network Kwai.

Social and CTV gaining momentum in content consumption

Despite many consumers (60%) stating they are looking forward to spending less time online amid the eased restrictions post COVID-19, 55% reported they are consuming more content daily than before the pandemic.

The rise in content consumption was largely driven by pressures from the rising cost of living, with 45% of respondents saying they are going out less because of increased cost. This was particularly marked across consumers aged 65 and over (63%) compared to younger respondents (32% of those aged 18 to 24).

The pull of content subscriptions was also found to drive the shift – with 39% claiming they had signed up to more subscriptions and the same proportion believing the quality of content available to them was better than ever.

More than half (55%) had signed up to additional streaming services in the past 12 months, with the rise strongest in India (74%), Latin America and United Arab Emirates (72% each). Meanwhile 27% of consumers globally expect they will spend more time on social media over the next year.

“This study highlights that consumer consumption habits are evolving in response to macro social and economic trends – from intensifying concerns about inflammatory or polarising content, to a continued shift in the platforms and channels consumers are turning to for content consumption,” said Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify.

“With digital content consumption rising, there's a clear opportunity to garner consumer attention and power campaign performance. To unlock this opportunity, brands must evolve their ad strategies – meeting their audiences where they consume content and focusing on contextually relevant, attention-grabbing ad placements that also safeguard their brand reputations.”

You can view the full report here


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