Consumers Prefer Targeted Ads: Survey

A majority of people would view banner ads as less intrusive if they were more relevant to their specific areas of interest, according to a new survey.

Conducted by the Ponemon Institute, the survey of more than 1,000 people revealed that consumers prefer banner ads that are relevant to their needs and interests by a 2 to 1 margin over those that are not relevant, with 52% saying they would be more likely to click on targeted ads.

The 2004 Survey on Internet Ads, co-sponsored by Chapell & Associates and Revenue Science, also found that consumers want stronger privacy measures in conjunction with providing the information that will enable more relevant ads. Although 45% said they would be willing to provide additional personal information if it meant more targeted ads, 55% showed a preference for technology that allows such ads without collecting personal information. Moreover, 69% favor the use of privacy enabling technology to prevent misuse of sensitive personal data, rather than third-party verification of "good" privacy practices.

The study also found strong anti-banner ad sentiment among consumers. Nearly 60% of respondents said banner ads were "always annoying;" 44% went so far as to say that unwanted Internet ads should be banned by law. However, a majority also indicated they are unwilling to pay for ad blocking services or online content to stop such ads.