Online advertisers must 'respect consumers', IAB says

by Sara Kimberley, mediaweek.co.uk 19-Feb-09, 15:35

LONDON - Internet users do not like to be disturbed by advertising while watching video-on-demand and prefer to be served ads when shopping online, new research from the IAB reveals.

The best time to reach most consumers with ads is during e-commerce activity, the IAB said, whether researching the best deals or shopping online.

The survey, produced by Lightspeed Research, also shows young consumers are more receptive to advertising messages between 9am and 2pm, while more than 50% of consumers aged 25 to 64 are more likely to pay attention to ads after 6pm.

The report calls on online advertisers to target consumers with relevant offers at a time when they will be more receptive to receiving ads, such as when using a search engine, downloading entertainment files, reading the news, catching up on sports results and playing games online.

Social networking also has a high level of receptivity, the report concluded, with more brands becoming involved with them. Consumers do not however, like being interrupted while watching catch-up TV or film clips.

Sorcha Proctor, research manager for IAB UK, said: "This research highlights the need for marketers fully to appreciate and understand the consumer mindset when planning their online marketing campaigns.

"Most significantly, the study highlights the need for retail brands to get in front of internet users at every point of the online customer journey, and emphasises the need to respect consumers if they want them to engage effectively with their marketing messages."