Nearly a third of 'Generation C' connected consumers find online advertising frustrating
Nearly a third of ‘Generation C’ customers – a group defined by digital connectivity rather than age – find current forms of online advertising frustrating, according to a report.
Report: The study found online ads can be frustrating
The study by Infomentum surveyed just over a thousand office workers, more than half of which fell into the Generation C category, and concluded that digital advertising is often failing to fully engage the most connected consumers.
Thirty per cent of the study’s Gen C respondents said they were highly frustrated by online advertising, and 83.5 per cent said specific techniques like pop ups and auto-playing videos were particularly irritating.
Vikram Setia, co-founder of Infomentum, said: “Generation C is an influential and creative group of people who can be a great asset to any marketing initiative.
“However, until marketers learn to ditch the out-dated one-way communication methods of the past they will never succeed in building an effective relationship with their Gen C customers. The internet is a place for connectivity and community, not hard sales tactics.”
However, while Gen C is considered to place high value on interaction and dialogue with brands rather than more intrusive forms of advertising, the survey found that only 1.5 per cent of respondents classed a lack of social media integration on a brand’s channels as a source of frustration, while just 12 per cent considered links to social media feeds on websites an important feature.
The report stated: “One possible explanation for this could be that Generation C has come to expect original and varied content across each individual channel.
“With continuous access to multiple platforms, Gen C users have no need to see social media content repeated across traditional sites.”
The report also found that Gen C customers were 11 per cent more likely to appreciate well-designed websites than those who were less connected to technology.