The Advertising Association’s report, released at ISBA’s annual conference, details the levels of public trust in advertising and pledging five actions to instigate change in the industry.
The report draws on extensive qualitative and quantitative research by Credos – the advertising industry’s think tank. It found that:
- Advertising is generally seen as a good thing, with some downsides
- People define advertising in broader terms than the ad industry, often considering marketing and promotions to be advertising
- It is easier to be annoyed by advertising than to be concerned by it (43% vs 13%)
Issues such as being bombarded by ads and excessive targeting are identified as key areas where improvement is needed. This chimes with Newsworks’ bespoke research with IPA TouchPoints, which shows that 84% agree that if they see an ad too many times online then they end up blanking it out and 79% get annoyed by adverts that follow them around online.
In order to improve people’s trust in advertising, the AA recommends five actions for the ad industry:
- Reduce advertising bombardment online by helping to build sign up to the IAB Gold Standard
- Reduce excessive advertising frequency and retargeting via ISBA’s development of best practice guidelines and renewed industry dialogue on data use best practice
- Ensure the Advertising Standard’s Authority is best in class by delivering strategic and joined-up industry support for the ASA and boosting public awareness of its role
- Ensure that data privacy matters by widening industry awareness of good data practice and supporting the ICO’s ‘Your Data Matters’ campaign
- Show that advertising can drive social change by widening support for key social change campaigns, increasing diversity in advertising, supporting media literacy in schools and showcasing examples of how advertising can drive positive social change
Find out more about the report here.
