Viewers turned off by avalanche of repetitive ads, research shows

Repetitive advertisements can affect a campaign’s effectiveness and increase viewer fatigue by up to 90 per cent, a study by The Trade Desk has found.

Repetitive adverts can be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

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Repetitive advertisements are creating a surge in fatigue among viewers, with 73 per cent of Australians switching off or “blocking out” during commercials, according to new research.

The findings from a neurological research study by global advertising technology company The Trade Desk reveal that advertising loads – the number of times the same messages appear to the same viewer – can trigger up to a 90 per cent spike in “ad fatigue” for the viewer.

The research finds that advertising campaigns that use an omnichannel approach – an audience-first strategy that integrates three or more digital channels, such as mobile, display, native, video, audio, digital OOH, BVOD or connected TV – were more likely to appeal to viewers.

Advertising that used an omnichannel approach was 1.5 times more persuasive, 1.4 times more attention-grabbing and 1.7 times more memorable than advertising that featured repeatedly on one channel.

Connected TV and BVOD are the most effective channels for building engagement with audiences, according to the results.

Campaigns with a connected omnichannel meda strategy produced a stronger emotional connection and higher brand affinity, the study found.

Stronger connection

Campaigns delivered a 130 per cent stronger emotional connection and a 110 per cent higher brand affinity with a viewer when the ads were part of a connected omnichannel media strategy.

It was followed by audio, which delivered 110 per cent higher brand immersion when used within an omnichannel strategy, and an 80 per cent surge in brand affinity compared to when it was used in isolation.

The research confirms the need for media companies and media agencies to consider the viewer experience when planning and executing advertising campaigns, said The Trade Desk’s director of market research and insights Sara Picazo.

“Omnichannel campaigns have the potential of being a win-win-win, for a publisher, an advertiser, and for an audience, but it needs to look at the campaign as a whole,” she said.

“When the data shows that traditional, single-channel approaches are losing effectiveness, it’s time to rethink the approach.

‘Rethink the approach’

“People move between platforms and devices.

“An omnichannel approach allows brands to manage frequency across channels, publishers and platforms, while delivering a ­cohesive sequence of relevant messages.

“By placing the audience at the centre of this strategy, we align more closely with how ­people actually consume media. And that’s how we enhance the ad experience for consumers that ultimately delivers stronger business outcomes for brands.

“As we consume more media channels and we’re exposed to more ads, a brand that can be respectful of that audience experience as well is one that will set itself up well for the future.

“We have a customer-comes-first mentality in other areas of the business, but in advertising, sometimes it’s not as easy.

“We have got to a point where we’re thinking of things that we need as marketers to provide for the brand that we work for, and sometimes the consumer experience comes second.”

The study combined neurological research with a survey of 2000 people to explore how mood, motivation and context influenced consumer engagement.