Email Is Best for Ad Impressions, Horowitz Study Finds

When it comes to advertising tactics today, consumers consider email to be the most effective, followed by ads on live TV, streamed shows, direct mail, YouTube, and on websites, according to a new study by Horowitz Research.

Email was cited by 42 percent of consumers, TV ads by 32 percent, and streamed shows by 29 percent, trailed closely by YouTube and websites in general. These numbers demonstrate a stark preference among consumers for digital advertising over other channels, the research firm suggested.

The study did find notable differences by age, with younger (18-34 and 35-49 year-old) consumers more likely to find text messages, social media posts, influencer sponsorships, ads in podcasts, and ads in music streaming services much more effective than older (50+) consumers do.

On the other hand, direct mail is still considered effective by 41 percent of 50+ year olds, compared to 20 percent of 35-49 year-olds and 13 percent of 18-34 year-olds who consider that tactic effective to reach them. Similarly, while less than a quarter (22 percent) of 50+ consumers feel print is still an effective medium, only 13 percent of 35-49 year-olds and 7 percent of 18-34 year-olds feel the same.

The study also found interesting differences when it comes to advertising in TV shows, whether live or streamed. Overall, about a third of consumers feel TV ads remain effective to reach them, but younger consumers, who have become accustomed to using subscription streaming services that are generally ad-free or have reduced ad loads, consider both live and streamed TV ads less effective than their older counterparts.

"The fact that younger consumers find ads in TV shows less effective is a reflection of their media behaviors and how the TV industry has evolved. Young people are heavy users of subscription streaming services that are generally not ad-supported, and have pretty much gravitated away from ad-supported live TV," said Adriana Waterston, executive vice president and insights and strategy lead at Horowitz Research, in a statement. "It makes sense that they see other platforms as more effective, since that is where they are seeing the most advertising. However, the past few years have seen an enormous increase in the number of ad-supported streaming services, opening up new opportunities for brands to re-connect with younger audiences through TV content."

As the digital television advertising space matures, consumers are becoming bullish on interactive advertising features that blur the lines between promotions and commerce, the study also found. For example, 35 percent of consumers find promotions for products related to what they are seeing on screen to be engaging. This increases to 46 percent among 35-49 year-olds. Additionally, 23 percent of consumers find it engaging to be able to actually purchase a product they saw in a TV show they were watching by scanning an on-screen code, while 25 percent of all consumers and 35 percent of those between ages 18 and 34 also find it engaging to use augmented reality to see how things might look like in real life before buying.

"We are on the brink of really exciting changes in the way that brands can leverage advanced, interactive features for digital retail right on the TV screen," Waterston said. "To really drive adoption, streaming platforms will need to replicate what the mobile platforms do, enabling a seamless retail experience so that on-screen shopping can be streamlined with the product just magically arriving at your door after a few simple clicks."