Nearly half (49%) of UK adults discover new brands via streaming TV ads, with the number rising to 74% among adult Gen Z and millennials, a new Amazon Ads report has revealed.
The data shed light on the importance of adverts on streaming services, showing that almost three in five (59%) UK consumers are streaming TV for more than one hour each day, rising to more than nine in 10 (93%) for consumers aged 18 to 34 years.
However, while almost nine in 10 (89%) of the 2,000 people surveyed said they are receptive to adverts that are interesting, relevant or help to keep subscription costs down, the same sample highlighted the importance of brands finding innovative ways to deliver streaming ads.
Some 40% of those who responded said they are likely to skip ads that are not interesting, 38% if they’re too long and 36% if the ads were not relevant to them – placing the emphasis on advertisers to ensure they are reaching the right audiences, with relevant content.
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“Engaging advertising starts with great content. Customers want to be served content they love, while doing the things they love – like watching streaming TV, listening to music, or shopping,” said Amazon Ads UK managing director, Phil Christer.
“If brands want to engage new customers while they are streaming they must prioritise finding new, innovative ways to deliver streaming TV ads and connect with audiences in a way that enhances the overall viewing experience.”
In addition, the research showed that the effectiveness of different types of advertising varies depending on the age of the audience the advertising reaches.
While more than a third (34%) of adult Gen-Z and millennials said they were likely to buy a product they liked after seeing it included within an interactive streaming TV ad, this decreased to just 10% of those aged over 55.
Again, only one in five (19%) of those aged over 55 said they would be likely to make a purchase if they saw a product they liked in a standard ad that automatically plays during streaming TV content.
“Creating a bridge between content and commerce means better experiences for customers, and better outcomes for brands,” added Christer.
“For advertisers who understand the audiences they’re trying to reach, streaming TV is an exciting route to delivering useful and relevant ads in a place where customers are already spending their time.”
The report follows in the way of a number of streaming services introducing or readjusting their advertising tier subscription.
Earlier this year, Netflix axed its ‘basic’ subscription tier, forcing new customers to either pay an additional £4 for their ‘standard’ subscription, or join their cheaper advertising tier, which has grown to 5 million global subscribers since its launch 10 months ago.
