A third of Aussies think brands endorse the online content their ads appear next to
More than a third of Australian consumers think brands endorse the content that its ads were adjacent to in an online video environment. The research was undertaken by technology and data platform Channel Factory and IPG Mediabrands’ Magna.
The study, named The Art of Alignment, explored the concept of ‘grey content’, which refers to the type of materials that may not necessarily be deemed unsafe but is generally not aligned with a brand’s value or voice.
The study included participants across three markets: Australia (1,371), US (1,370) and UK (3,104). Participants were regular users of a popular social media video app, and they were driven to a controlled mobile version of the app to watch content, with a 15-second pre-roll test or control ad delivered based on randomisation.
A post-exposure survey was delivered to participants to measure impact on brand KPIs, and also included a POV section to understand content perceptions. The types of content served spanned auto, entertainment, gaming, learning and sports. The research studied brand ads and control ads across the following industry verticals: apparel, beverages, financial services, quick-service, technology and toys.
Alex Littlejohn, managing director of Channel Factory, said the category and personality of a brand are relevant when it comes to identifying grey content.
“Take a broad content category like sports or entertainment – this can include videos of MMA fights, drag racing or dangerous stunts. This is something that a toy manufacturer wouldn’t want to be associated with, but would fit perfectly for some betting or energy drink brands,” he told Mumbrella.
“Perceived appropriateness is based on brand personality as much, if not more, than the vertical. Consumers are more critical of B2B brands as opposed to B2C brands, signifying the importance of strategically navigating grey content when talking to a professional audience.
The study found while questionable content feels most inappropriate for toy (26 over index) and financial services (11 over index), it is less likely to be perceived as misaligned for the beverage (14 under index) and quick service brands (22 under index).
For Australian participants of the study, their message association adjacent to ads next to questionable content (+6 pts) is weaker than that adjacent to standard content (+9 pts). Persuasion metrics like purchase intent and search intent next to grey content also had major decreases (-9 pts each).
In particular, the purchase intent of Gen Z adults (-12 pts) and Millennials (-14 pts) decreased the most when the brand ran ads against questionable content as opposed to standard content.
In other words, brands failing to navigate grey content will lose out on communicating their key messages and translating customer interests into actions.
Alex Littlejohn
When asked about what brands need to do to ensure ad suitability, Littlejohn said it’s all about aligning the brand image with the one in the mind of consumers.
“The lesson here is that brands need to be proactive about avoiding misaligned and questionable content for them, to avoid diminishing the effectiveness of otherwise powerful ads,” he said.
“This is especially relevant when it comes to the fast-moving world of trending content because this is where you are more likely to see misalignment, because it can be hard to tell if that trend is suitable for your brand.
“Advertisers will reap the rewards from taking a deep dive into what their specific consumers’ thresholds are and working with video partners to custom-curate campaign content targeting to drive more positive brand results.”
Magna’s intelligence and insights director, Australia, Hannah Rook added: “Many brand safety practices are black and white in nature, the opportunity to broaden this approach to proactively consider brand suitability in specific content environments will be key to maximise results for our clients.”
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Darcy Song was a reporter at Mumbrella, covering media owners, adtech and social platforms. She left in October 2023.
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Well it is true: by advertising next to content you are actually endorsing it. You had the chance not to appear there but you chose to.
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Get around brand suitability!
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