Attitudes to the advertising in each medium
Most of the attitude statements in “Absorbing Media” concerned advertising in each of the six media. Although many people have a generally negative attitude to advertising, the results consistently showed that advertising in magazines is seen more positively than in other media.
Advertising in magazines was seen as more relevant than in other media (television ranked second at some distance behind), and as being more helpful as a buying guide (television and newspapers coming second). Advertising in magazines and television was more trusted and believed than advertising seen elsewhere. People felt they were more likely to pay attention to an advertisement if they saw it in their favourite magazine or television programme. Magazine advertising led in terms of helping people decide between two similar products they were considering purchasing.
Turning to negative aspects, television stood out as being the medium creating the most unfavourable attitudes towards its advertising. Just over half of viewers said they often find the advertising annoying. Almost 40% felt that the commercials were too intrusive and that, overall, the medium is the worse for them.
Commercial radio and websites also came out poorly in terms of these unfavourable attitudes. In contrast, the three forms of print media – magazines, newspapers and newspaper supplements - fared much better, with relatively low levels of negative comment.
Attitudes to the advertising in each medium
“This medium has advertising that I find relevant”
% agreeing it applies
Magazines
34 %
Newspapers
18 %
Newspaper supplements
9 %
Commercial TV
23 %
Commercial radio
5 %
Websites
10 %
“Advertising in this medium is helpful as a buying guide”
| % agreeing it applies | |
| Magazines | 35 % |
| Newspapers | 22 % |
| Newspaper supplements | 13 % |
| Commercial TV | 24 % |
| Commercial radio | 6 % |
| Websites | 14 % |
“I can usually trust and believe the advertising”
| % agreeing it applies | |
| Magazines | 23 % |
| Newspapers | 17 % |
| Newspaper supplements | 10 % |
| Commercial TV | 22 % |
| Commercial radio | 8 % |
| Websites | 7 % |
“I’m more likely to pay attention to an advertisement if it appears in/on one of my favourite …”
| % agreeing it applies | |
| Magazines | 30 % |
| Newspapers | 14 % |
| Newspaper supplements | 7 % |
| Commercial TV | 28 % |
| Commercial radio | 6 % |
| Websites | 6 % |
“The advertising can help me decide between two similar products that I’m considering purchasing”
| % agreeing it applies | |
| Magazines | 28 % |
| Newspapers | 15 % |
| Newspaper supplements | 9 % |
| Commercial TV | 21 % |
| Commercial radio | 4 % |
| Websites | 9 % |
“I often find the advertising annoying”
| % agreeing it applies | |
| Magazines | 10 % |
| Newspapers | 11 % |
| Newspaper supplements | 9 % |
| Commercial TV | 51 % |
| Commercial radio | 23 % |
| Websites | 18 % |
Base: All aged 15+
Source: Absorbing Media, 2002
Advertising on websites, which the survey probed in further detail, can sometimes be a problem to users. Still in its infancy, it simply seems to get on people’s nerves. Banner ads are one thing, but pop-ups ads really do wind people up. 81% of respondents agreed that “It is irritating when adverts pop up unexpectedly”. People are also annoyed by movement and flashing in online ads.
Overall, web advertising is disliked because of its intrusive nature, which runs strongly counter to one of the principal consumer benefits of the medium: control by the user. Moreover the extra time taken up by advertisements adds to the slight sense of guilt some surfers feel about the time they spend accessing websites.