The Psychology Behind Why People Dislike Ads (And How to Make Better Ones)
Global advertising spending reached more than $330 billion in 2019. And while companies continue to pump money into their ad campaigns, there’s still a daunting obstacle blocking its path toward success: people’s distaste for ads that are irrelevant to them and their interests.
According to HubSpot Research, 91% of people believe ads are more intrusive now compared to two or three years ago, and 79% believe they’re being tracked by retargeted ads. So, it’s not hard to imagine why people are pretty ad-averse these days. No one likes to feel like they’re just another part of some secret algorithm, another cog in the advertising wheel.
Here at Wistia, however, we actually don’t think advertising itself is the problem. It’s not that all ads stink — it’s just that the types of ads many businesses are running make people, well, cringe. We’re not suggesting you give up on ads altogether, but we are suggesting businesses rethink the kinds of ads they’re making, and ultimately, what they hope to achieve by running them.