Nearly half of all U.S. adults say TV is the most acceptable place for advertising – a feeling that is consistent across all generations. Additionally, TV is the platform where they tend to pay attention to ads the most. 4
That’s according to new research from Tenetic and CivicScience, which also showed that 37% of adults believe TV advertisers don’t know anything about them, with 59% saying they rarely or never remember the sponsor or advertiser of a show they watched.
Some 10,000 respondents participated in the study, conducted July 8-11.
And, for these individuals aged 18 and older, the big takeaway is that Television is the best medium at making people feel connected to their local communities — in fact, two times better than streaming content, nearly two times better than digital video, and nearly three times better than other types of video content.
“Clearly there is an untapped opportunity in the television advertising market,” says Chris Wilson, CEO at Tenetic. “Viewers are accepting of ads on TV, but they are not finding enough ads to be relevant to their interests or needs. We can better realize the impact of TV advertising, especially as a driver to local purchase, with a more accurate, real-time understanding of the consumer.”
For broadcast TV AEs eager to win new business or an extension of a current agreement, the finding that 43% of U.S. adults feel that TV is the most acceptable place for ads is a key selling point. By comparison, 28% of respondents feel that the internet is the most acceptable place for ads, and that 29% social media is best.
Some 52% of respondents said they watch broadcast or cable TV daily. But, as is consistent across multiple studies, daily viewing drops sharply among Gen Z (26%).
But, what about choice in advertising messaging? Some 47% of respondents would prefer to choose the ads they see over letting AI decide. Men (49%) are more likely than women (45%) to prefer choosing their own ads.
From an economic standpoint, those earning over $100K (52%) are the most likely to want control, compared to 45% of those earning $50K–$100K and 42% of those earning under $50K. Gen Z, however, stands apart: 42% prefer to let AI choose their ads.
Then, there is the finding that 43% of respondents say TV ads are most likely to influence them to try a new brand. This is most notable among Gen X (51%) and Baby Boomers (55%). Meanwhile, Gen Z is more influenced by social media ads (38%)
