Adlucent, an integrated digital marketing and analytics agency, released the results of its recent consumer survey, “Personalize-To-Play: The Next Generations’ Digital Marketing Sentiment Report.” Adlucent’s survey of 900 U.S. consumers aged 18-64 revealed online shopping habits and gauged the importance of personalization across generations. 

A key discovery of Adlucent’s survey was the importance of personalization for shoppers aged 34 and under; for these younger generations, personalization is not the “cherry on top,” but a requirement for effective ad campaigns. 

Other notable takeaways of the report include:

  • 50% of respondents say they feel “annoyed” or “creeped out” when served an ad for an item they just bought. When this happens, shoppers feel like the brand doesn’t understand them or where they are in the shopping journey. To most appeal to shoppers, advertisers need to use their data, tagging and targeting properly to personalize content. 
  • Nearly 40% of respondents recall clicking an ad before making a purchase. As for the other 60%, this indicates that advertising has become such a native part of the platforms where consumers are spending time, they don’t always distinguish paid placement from organic. Adlucent’s performance data shows ads driving $2B+ in revenue through digital ads. 
  • The majority have spent up to $200 online as their biggest purchase and 25% have spent up to $500. In addition, 50.6% said it takes them 2-6 days to make a purchase they consider a high order value. Delayed purchases provide brands the opportunity to re-engage and nurture customers during the decision-making phase.
  • Over half shop at night and only 5.6% shop in the morning. The younger generations are shopping in their free time and primarily on mobile. Strategic brands have taken advantage of this tendency by bidding up during evening hours to capitalize on traffic. Additionally, brands should ensure creative assets are a fit for smaller screens.
  • 67.8% have logged into a website with their social media account. Consumers are willing to exchange data to avoid making new website logins. Adding a social login to an eCommerce site provides convenience while opening the door for more personalization.  
  • 66.7% have given up their email address to gain access to promotions, sweepstakes, discounts or notifications. For advertisers, emails provide great opportunities for email marketing and audience targeting, whether using lookalike audiences on Facebook or advertising via Google platforms like Gmail or YouTube.
  • 46.7% prefer relevant ads on sites they access for free. Consumers prefer relevant ads and are willing to give up information in order to make their browsing experience better, shoppers dislike feeling bombarded with ads they don’t personally relate to.