There's a time and place for ads

The latest Ipsos Mackay Advertising report has examined consumers' responses to the current advertising landscape, what ad techniques Australians love to hate, the future of ads and the marketing implications for consumer attitudes.

The study highlighted that consumers were increasingly aware of the dissonance of advertising aimed at making people buy at a time when some are feeling insecure about the future of the economy and their own financial situation.

It also revealed that many people felt advertising was permeating their culture and everyday life and some restrictions were needed. Australians were also extremely savvy about marketing techniques, overwhelmingly negative about ads and refused to believe they were influenced by them.

Overwhelmingly though, consumers were annoyed by the ill-considered and inappropriate timing of ads.

"The context of ads is an important factor for consumers and a majority pointed to inappropriate erectile dysfunction treatment ads on billboards and radio during school pick-up times," Ipsos Mackay Director of Research, Dr Rebecca Huntley said.

"On television and radio especially, consumers did not want to see certain services and products being advertised while children were viewing or listening. Nor did they warm to advertisements for luxury goods, services and products juxtaposed with news items about human and natural disasters."

Invariably, the most appealing and enduring advertisements carried a message that was short, simple, endearing or funny, the kind of ad epitomised by the now famous Telstra Big Pond's 'Great Wall of China'. Alcohol ads were also singled out as often being "sassy, clever and classy".

Most agreed that one of the most attention grabbing and involving ways to communicate a message was with humour. If an ad entertained and amused, consumers were more receptive. Catalogues and pamphlets were also popular and were even seen as a cheap form of entertainment.

The sense of being overwhelmed by advertising was also a function of how consumers defined advertising.

"Interestingly, they often identified ads to be any form of brand communication," Dr Huntley said.

For example, one respondent commented: "They are good in using the psyche of brand placement. Whether that is ethical or not, who knows? Putting toys at the checkout or at their level on the shelves so kids scream for them, that's immoral but it is clever."

Consumers were also increasingly savvy and very conscious of how advertisers were targeting them in increasingly subtle and clever ways. Most people believed they were not manipulated by advertisers, but rather take or leave the information presented as they see fit.

"I don't know anyone who'd admit to buying something because they saw an ad for it," commented one respondent.

Dr Huntley said: "Consumers claimed they could outsmart advertisers and remain immune to their influence. Discussing the various tactics they used to manipulate their exposure to advertisements, consumers sometimes succeeded in eliminating them altogether.

"Participants readily discussed the reasons for their antipathy to certain types of ads and the techniques they found most offensive. People had no difficulty in nominating advertisements they hated. In fact, consumers much more readily identified ads they did not like rather than ones they did."

Overall, consumers were often divided over which ads were 'good', however, even the general consensus was that techniques such as sex, star power, 'cute and cuddly' and shock tactics at least got consumers' attention and got them talking.

Consumers believed the future trend in advertising was all about using ever shrewder marketing strategies, tailored to and targeted at the individual. Although they understood that this would entail gathering detailed information on individuals to learn more about their likes, dislikes and spending habits, there was concern expressed about the growing power of marketers and the technology they used.

But when reflecting on the future of advertising, consumers were uncertain whether it would continue to be media driven or whether there might be a return to the traditional word-of-mouth approach.