Advertising consumption and perception in the United States - statistics & facts

Even in an increasingly digital world, television and print still reign supreme as the ad media that is most trusted by American consumers, trailed by radio and search engines. As far as industries go, a study showed that both food and beverage and clothing were perceived as those with the most trustworthy advertising. When it came to the main reasons for online shoppers to trust a brand, price came first, followed by reviews. On the flip side, the main reason for American shoppers to lose trust in a brand was that of a faulty product.

Advertising perception

Television and streaming ads were the ones most recalled by American consumers but were surpassed by social media ads when it came to effectiveness. Humor in advertising has proven to be a surefire tool in winning over consumers’ attention, minds, and wallets, with some six out of 10 Americans saying ads should be funny – trumping the share who felt they should be motivational or educational.

Advertising consumption and targeting

With free, ad-supported streaming services becoming more and more frequent in a crowded playing field, four out of 10 Americans said they preferred ad-backed streaming content, compared to three out of 10 opting for paid, ad-free solutions. When it came to where and when ads should pop up, a hefty majority of U.S. streaming video service users said they would prefer to watch ads before a show instead of during the show. Binge ads – ads that specifically target binge-watchers - were the most popular video streaming ad types, while ads voiced by a show’s host were those preferred by podcast listeners. Around four out of 10 U.S. consumers said they would feel more comfortable with targeted advertising if ads were more relevant to their interests instead of their online actions. This went hand in hand with more than one third of Americans saying they were bothered by ads not being relevant to them.

Perception of diversity and social issues

The impact of climate change has raised debates as to how brands can support environmental issues. In fact, sustainability was the top social issue U.S. consumers would like brands to publicly support. When it came to demographics, Gen Z, Black, and Hispanic consumers were more influenced by sustainability than their white and Gen X counterparts when choosing between brands. Regarding racial and ethnic diversity, representation has proven to be the key element in capturing the attention of Black American audiences.

Perception of LGBTQ+ advertising

The best way for brands to support Pride Month according to consumers worldwide was to educate people on LGBTQ+ issues and misconceptions, not forgetting the importance of representing LGBTQ+ people in a more accurate and positive way. According to U.S. consumers, Google was the brand showing the most authentic backing for Pride Month, followed by Netflix and Facebook/Meta.

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Leading types of ads found favorable by U.S. consumers: Print ads, billboards ads

Share of U.S. consumers who avoid certain media because of advertising overload: 40%

U.S. consumers who notice a lot of ads on their desktops/laptops: 29%

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Advertising

Ad spend vs. media time gap in the U.S. 2022

Advertising

Share of people who trust ads from selected industries in the U.S. 2021

Advertising & Marketing

Attitudes towards online advertising in the U.S. 2022

Recommended statistics

Overview

Premium Statistic Ad spend vs. media time gap in the U.S. 2022
Ad spend vs. media time gap in the U.S. 2022
Difference between advertising spending and time spent with selected media in the United States in 2022 (index score)
Premium Statistic Attitudes towards online advertising in the U.S. 2022
Attitudes towards online advertising in the U.S. 2022
Attitudes towards online advertising in the U.S. in 2022
Premium Statistic Trust in advertising in the U.S. 2021, by medium
Trust in advertising in the U.S. 2021, by medium
Trust in advertising according to consumers in the United States as of January 2021, by medium
Premium Statistic Share of people who trust ads from selected industries in the U.S. 2021
Share of people who trust ads from selected industries in the U.S. 2021
Perception of trustworthiness of advertising from selected industries according to consumers in the United States as of December 2021
Premium Statistic U.S. online shopper brand trust reasons 2021
U.S. online shopper brand trust reasons 2021
Reasons for online shoppers to trust a brand in the United States as of 1st quarter 2021
Premium Statistic Reasons for loss of consumer trust in brands in the U.S. 2021
Reasons for loss of consumer trust in brands in the U.S. 2021
Reasons why consumers would lose trust in brands in the United States as of 1st quarter 2021

Advertising perception

Premium Statistic Media where consumers recall ads in the U.S. 2021
Media where consumers recall ads in the U.S. 2021
Share of consumers who recall advertising in selected media in the United States as of September 2021
Premium Statistic Most influential ad types according to consumers in the U.S. 2021
Most influential ad types according to consumers in the U.S. 2021
Most influential types of advertising according to consumers in the United States as of September 2021
Premium Statistic Brand message types that appeal to consumers in the U.S. 2021
Brand message types that appeal to consumers in the U.S. 2021
Brand message types that appealed to consumers in the United States as of November 2021
Premium Statistic Top industries where brands should be fun according to U.S. consumers 2022
Top industries where brands should be fun according to U.S. consumers 2022
Leading industries where brands should be fun according to consumers in the United States in May 2022

Advertising consumption

Premium Statistic TV ads perception and attitudes among U.S. adults 2021
TV ads perception and attitudes among U.S. adults 2021
Perception and consumption habits of TV advertising among adults in the United States as of October 2021
Premium Statistic Popularity of ad-supported streaming content in the U.S. 2021
Popularity of ad-supported streaming content in the U.S. 2021
Share of consumers who preferred paid ad-free vs. free ad-supported streaming content in the United States as of June 2021
Premium Statistic Preferred video streaming ad types in the U.S. 2021
Preferred video streaming ad types in the U.S. 2021
Preferred video streaming ad types according to adults in the United States as of September 2021
Premium Statistic Factors that make viewers pay more attention to ads during a streamed show U.S. 2021
Factors that make viewers pay more attention to ads during a streamed show U.S. 2021
Factors that would make streaming video viewers pay more attention to ads during shows in the United States as of June 2021
Premium Statistic Podcast listeners' ad receptivity in the U.S. 2021
Podcast listeners' ad receptivity in the U.S. 2021
Attitudes towards ads among podcast listeners in the United States as of March 2021
Premium Statistic Preferred podcast ad types in the U.S. 2022
Preferred podcast ad types in the U.S. 2022
Preferred podcast ad types in the United States as of October 2022

Targeted advertising

Premium Statistic Top targeted advertising benefits according to consumers in the U.S. 2021
Top targeted advertising benefits according to consumers in the U.S. 2021
Leading benefits of targeted advertising according to consumers in the United States as of March 2021
Premium Statistic Share of adults who find linear TV ads to be targeting them in the U.S. 2021
Share of adults who find linear TV ads to be targeting them in the U.S. 2021
Share of adults who think advertising on linear TV targets them and their preferences in the United States as of September 2021
Premium Statistic Share of TV viewers feeling positive about having ads aimed at them in the U.S. 2021
Share of TV viewers feeling positive about having ads aimed at them in the U.S. 2021
Share of TV viewers who feel comfortable with ads targeted to them based on their personal information in the United States as of December 2021
Premium Statistic Share of adults bothered by irrelevant ads in the U.S. 2021
Share of adults bothered by irrelevant ads in the U.S. 2021
Share of adults who were bothered by ads not being relevant to them in the United States as of September 2021
Premium Statistic Ways to make targeted advertising more acceptable for consumers in the U.S. 2021
Ways to make targeted advertising more acceptable for consumers in the U.S. 2021
Ways to make consumers more comfortable with targeted advertising in the United States as of July 2021

Advertising in news

Premium Statistic Impact of adjacency to news content on ad perception in the U.S. 2021
Impact of adjacency to news content on ad perception in the U.S. 2021
Impact of adjacency to news content on digital advertising perception among consumers in the United States as of November 2021
Premium Statistic Impact of adjacency to news on ad perception in the U.S. 2021, by news genre
Impact of adjacency to news on ad perception in the U.S. 2021, by news genre
Impact of adjacency to news content on digital advertising perception among consumers in the United States as of November 2021, by news genre
Premium Statistic Necessity to vet digital news properties before advertising in the U.S. 2021
Necessity to vet digital news properties before advertising in the U.S. 2021
Share of consumers who believed that brands should vet digital news sources before advertising on their properties in the United States as of November 2021
Premium Statistic Share of adults seeing change in brand trust due to news advertising in the U.S. 2020
Share of adults seeing change in brand trust due to news advertising in the U.S. 2020
Share of adults who say that advertising in news increases brand trustworthiness in the United States as of September 2020
Premium Statistic Consumer brand actions influenced by advertising in news in the U.S. 2020
Consumer brand actions influenced by advertising in news in the U.S. 2020
Share of adults who say that advertising in news impacts their actions taken in connection to brands in the United States as of September 2020

Advertising in mobile apps

Premium Statistic Major mobile app ads preferred by adults in the U.S. 2021
Major mobile app ads preferred by adults in the U.S. 2021
Leading types of mobile app advertising preferred by adults in the United States as of September 2021
Premium Statistic Mobile app types where adults notice relevant ads in the U.S. 2021
Mobile app types where adults notice relevant ads in the U.S. 2021
Leading app types where adults noticed relevant advertising in the United States as of September 2021
Premium Statistic Leading reactions of adults to relevant ads in mobile apps in the U.S. 2021, by age
Leading reactions of adults to relevant ads in mobile apps in the U.S. 2021, by age
Leading actions taken after seeing relevant advertising in mobile apps according to adults in the United States as of September 2021, by age group
Premium Statistic Leading actions of adults to relevant ads in mobile apps in the U.S. 2021, by gender
Leading actions of adults to relevant ads in mobile apps in the U.S. 2021, by gender
Leading actions taken after seeing a relevant ad in mobile apps according to adults in the United States as of September 2021, by gender

Perception of social issues

Premium Statistic Buying brands that reflect personal values worldwide 2021, by country
Buying brands that reflect personal values worldwide 2021, by country
Share of adults who bought brands that reflected their personal values in France, Great Britain, and the United States from 2013 to 2021
Premium Statistic Top social issues consumers want more brands to support in the U.S. 2022
Top social issues consumers want more brands to support in the U.S. 2022
Leading social issues consumers would like more brands to publicly support in the United States as of June 2022
Premium Statistic Consumers noticing inclusive ads at time of purchase consideration 2021, by age
Consumers noticing inclusive ads at time of purchase consideration 2021, by age
Distribution of consumers noticing representative advertising at the time of purchase consideration worldwide as of April 2021, by age group
Premium Statistic Influence of sustainability on consumer brand choice in the U.S. 2021, by age
Influence of sustainability on consumer brand choice in the U.S. 2021, by age
Influence of sustainability on consumer decision-making while choosing brands in the United States as of April 2021, by age
Premium Statistic Influence of sustainability on consumer brand choice in the U.S. 2021, by gender
Influence of sustainability on consumer brand choice in the U.S. 2021, by gender
Influence of sustainability on consumer decision-making while choosing brands in the United States as of April 2021, by gender
Premium Statistic Sustainability influence on brand choice in the U.S. 2021, by ethnicity and race
Sustainability influence on brand choice in the U.S. 2021, by ethnicity and race
Influence of sustainability on consumer decision-making while choosing brands in the United States as of April 2021, by ethnicity and race
Premium Statistic Consumers believing it's important for brands to take a stand on abortion U.S. 2022
Consumers believing it's important for brands to take a stand on abortion U.S. 2022
Share of consumers who believe it is important for brands to take a stand on abortion rights in the United States as of January 2022
Premium Statistic Consumers supporting brands backing or opposing abortion rights U.S. 2022
Consumers supporting brands backing or opposing abortion rights U.S. 2022
Share of consumers who would be more likely to support a brand if it backed or opposed abortion rights in the United States as of January 2022

Perception of diversity

Premium Statistic Perceived diversity of advertising worldwide 2021, by country
Perceived diversity of advertising worldwide 2021, by country
Share of adults who felt represented in ads in selected countries worldwide as of June 2021
Premium Statistic Attitudes to female representation in advertising in the U.S. 2022
Attitudes to female representation in advertising in the U.S. 2022
Attitudes towards female representation in advertising in the United States as of February 2022
Premium Statistic Top ad elements capturing Black audiences' attention in the U.S. 2021
Top ad elements capturing Black audiences' attention in the U.S. 2021
Leading advertising elements capturing the attention of Black audiences in the United States as of March 2021

LGBTQ+ advertising perception

Premium Statistic Ways brands should support Pride Month according to consumers worldwide 2022
Ways brands should support Pride Month according to consumers worldwide 2022
Leading ways brands should support Pride Month according to consumers worldwide as of June 2022
Premium Statistic Top brands showing authentic support for Pride Month according to U.S. consumers 2022
Top brands showing authentic support for Pride Month according to U.S. consumers 2022
Brands showing most authentic support for Pride Month according to consumers in the United States as of May 2022
Premium Statistic Public opinion on Pride Month marketing activities of companies in the U.S. 2022
Public opinion on Pride Month marketing activities of companies in the U.S. 2022
Level of public support towards selected actions taken by companies in response to Pride Month in the United States as of June 2022, by demographic
Premium Statistic Sources of brand discovery for LGBT+ consumers in the U.S. Q1 2021
Sources of brand discovery for LGBT+ consumers in the U.S. Q1 2021
Sources of brand discovery for LGBTQ+ consumers in the United States during the 1st quarter of 2021

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