Here’s What Consumers Want From Advertising When Shopping for Everyday Products

January 31, 2020

Valassis Advertising Everyday Product Shopping Journey Jan2020About two-thirds (68%) of shoppers say that with all the information now available to them, they are able to make better purchasing decisions than they could 5 years ago. With that in mind, what do shoppers want from advertising when they are shopping for everyday products like groceries, skincare and electronics? Here’s what a survey [download page] of 1,000 adult shoppers from Valassis and Kantar discovered.

Relevance is a key theme for many respondents, with half saying they wish that advertising was more relevant to their current needs and 47% saying they wish relevant advertising appeared when they are researching solutions that address a personal need. The desire for relevance and timeliness of ads increases for those shopping for Electronics, with 67% saying they wish for more relevant ads and 62% wanting relevant ads to also be timely.

As convenience becomes more of a priority for today’s consumers, shoppers are looking for a bit more from advertising on that front. More than two-fifths (43%) of respondents agreed that they wish targeted advertising could guide them through a store to find the exact product they need. This is of even greater importance to Electronics (63%) and Skincare (51%) consumers.

Although there are many factors that motivate consumers to try out a new retailer, research shows that consumers are often influenced by relevant brand messaging. That said, nearly 2 in 5 (38%) respondents say they wish advertising helped them break out of their purchasing habits to discover something new or better. When it comes to Electronics shoppers, that percentage jumps to 60%.

Parents Want Ads to Educate; Millennials Want Personalization

Parents, who made up one-third (32%) of the respondents, are more likely than average to say they like to explore and discover new products when shopping (77% vs. 61%). They are also more likely to go online to research products before they buy. As part of this drive to research before purchasing, 68% say they wished that advertising helped them get the best experience out of their purchase, such as teaching them how to do something new.

Millennials, who made up 28% of survey respondents, for their part expressed an above-average desire for advertising to be more personalized to their tastes (62% vs. 42%) and for advertising to be more relevant to their current needs (66% vs. 50%). Millennials are also more likely than others to say they frequently try new products based on recommendations of influencers and celebrities (51%) and that they trust advertising more when it features influencers or celebrities they follow online (48%).

To read more, the full report can be downloaded here.

About the Data: Findings are based on a survey of 1,000 US consumers aged 18+, fielded during Q4 2019.

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