Ad Choices & the benefit of self-regulation
Consumers are more comfortable with marketers collecting their browsing data to serve up interest-based ads when they know the organization participates in the Canadian marketing community’s Ad Choices program. Research undertaken for CMA by BrandSpark International confirms that brands gain a significant trust dividend by participating in a self-regulatory program aimed at providing consumers with transparency and choice about data collection for online advertising. Consumer awareness of the program is growing and together with a significant lift in consumer confidence:
- 80% of consumers are aware of the collection of online browsing data for purposes of serving relevant advertising.
- The majority of consumers like receiving special offers based on the websites they have visited.
- Millennials are more comfortable with interest-based advertising that those over age 65.
- 13% of Canadian consumers were aware of Ad Choices after one year, compared to U.S. program experience of 5% awareness after one year, now at 36% after four years.
Notes:
1. The BrandSpark research was conducted between Nov. 3 and Dec. 12, 2014 and including an online panel composed of 9,459 consumers from all regions of Canada.
2. Canada’s Ad Choices Program was launched in September 2013 by the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada, a consortium of eight advertising and marketing associations, including CMA.
