Is your marketing more irritating than engaging?

With personalisation, heightened targeting, and innovative technologies, consumers are surely having a better marketing experience than they were even just a few years ago… right?

Recent research from Kantar Millward Brown suggests that digital marketing efforts may have gone too far with the use of big data and tracking.

The AdReaction report UK found that nearly three quarters (73%) of consumers feel ads appear in more places than they did three years ago. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that almost seven in 10 (69%) said they see more ads today.

Even more worryingly, two thirds (66%) of respondents claim that today’s ads are more intrusive than they used to be, and a third (33%) described them as more irritating compared to three years ago.

As brands push to deliver engaging campaigns and ads, it will be a heavy blow that consumers view their efforts as more intrusive and irritating.

While marketers have more channels and methods available to them than ever before, with many implementing multichannel advertising, it seems less really is more as just 27% of consumers said such campaigns make them think of specific brands, and only 18% said they leave a stronger impression.

However, it wasn’t all bad news, as a third (33%) feel brands tell better stories with their ads nowadays.

The report highlighted discrepancies between marketers and consumers when it comes to the effectiveness of targeted measures, with more than half (58%) of marketers viewing them as somewhat or very effective. This sentiment was echoed by just 27% of consumers.

In fact, consumers are more likely to remember negative online targeting experiences than positive ones, with almost a quarter (24%) seeing their online targeting experiences in the past week as irrelevant to them and over a fifth (21%) said they had seen the ads too many times.

These findings could suggest a need for new metrics, as it is clear marketers can’t just rely on numbers on a screen. They need to get better gauge of how their ads are perceived by consumers, rather than how often they have been seen.

Managing director of media and digital at Kantar Millward Brown, Jane Ostler, commented: “With consumers feeling overwhelmed by advertising from all angles, marketers must remember the basics.

“The creative approach should be adapted for different contexts, but shouldn’t stray too far from the core idea as brand impact and the effectiveness of the media investment will be compromised.”

Ostler likened today’s marketing efforts to conducting a large orchestra, as “marketers need to work even harder now to ensure that everything works in harmony.”

It’s clear that marketers need to go back to basics, and ensure they deliver strong campaign ideas and tightly integrate across channels. Speak to Fireworx today to see how we can help you create impactful digital marketing campaigns.