The Ad-Averse: Finicky and OpinionatedThe online marketing research firm Intelliseek released data last week suggesting that so-called ad-skippers - those who avoid ads on TV or the Internet, either by installing pop-up blockers, by recording shows and skipping the spots or by changing channels when commercials come on - behave differently in other ways as well.
The study ... found that ad-skippers were generally more interested than their ad-watching peers in online product research and more likely to participate in online discussions of products, like those on blogs or product review sites. Those who skipped ads were 17 percent more likely to research computer hardware or software online, and they posted comments on Web sites 25 percent more often.
This creates problems for marketers, said Pete Blackshaw of Intelliseek. “The same consumers they're spending money researching are now taking control of the message,” sometimes voicing opinions that are the opposite of what the marketers want to project.
In other words, folks like us, the TiVo users, users of pop-up blockers, commercial radio avoiders, and the reader of web zines, we are the ones who actively seek information that is relevant to us. You can't bamboozle us with your PR, with your cliched political talking points, and expect us to blindly believe whatever snake-oil you sell is a panacea for all. We do our own research, thank you very much.
Tags: Advertising, /media, /PR
I research any item I buy to death.
I had been the type of person who kept something to read by my side whilst watching TV, so that I could look at it when the ads come on.
Ironically I now tape hours of TV and watch ONLY the adverts, in order to research my blog:
http://www.bodnotbod.org.uk/blog/
The idea of it is to examine the language used in adverts and point out how empty, meaningless or misleading the message is when you actually think about it rather than just letting it wash over you.
interesting. I'll have to start reading your blog.