Marketers and consumers have different ideas about what constitutes relevant online advertising, and the gap is growing according to Adobe Digital Insights.
The research, based on data from over 1000 consumers and 300 marketers in Western Europe, found that many marketers are overestimating the success of their campaigns.
In Germany for instance, 69% of marketers report that they are delivering relevant ads, while only 49% of consumers agreed.
In the UK the picture is a little more pessimistic. Just under half (49%) of marketers think their campaigns are relevant, while 33% consumers think the same.
Problems with mobile ads
While smartphones have become the main way that European consumers access the web, translating this into successful ad campaigns is proving challenging.
According to the report’s findings, mobile ad completion is 80% that of desktop completion. 18% of viewers move on after an ad has lasted five seconds and 58% of the ads are watched to the end.
Facebook came out on top, with 52% of consumers believing that the social media giant does the best job when it comes to relevant ads.
Consumers also reported that humour ranked above benefits, prices or (interestingly) whether they match their own personal values.
The personalisation problem
Another facet of the problems marketers face in Europe is a result of a conflict in the mind of consumers. While many want more personalisation when it comes to advertising, there are also big concerns around privacy and delivery.
Fewer than a third of Europeans are comfortable sharing their data with brands, and under a quarter think that marketers respect their privacy.
This attitude seems to ease up when it comes to younger consumers. The research found that 35% of 18-34 year olds claim to be happy to share their data.
Costs stacking up
The cost of advertising is also rising, and this is placing further pressure on marketing departments in terms of ROI and effectiveness.
With regards to search marketing, there has been a 13% price increase for desktop and 19% for mobile.
There is also a difference in the effectiveness of some channels. In particular, a 47% increase in spend on search has only lead to a 33% increase in site visits. Social media, while effective for younger consumers, is only really noticed by older consumers if they are actively looking to purchase information.
“The new digital reality is bringing about a massive transformation in which customer experience has become the brand of your organisation,” John Travis, Adobe’s EMEA vice-president of marketing, said.
You can read the report in full here.
