Now more than ever, online channels have become the go-to for marketers to reach, convince, and convert consumers. It’s no wonder. Digital entertainment and content consumption is at an all-time high because of the pandemic. At the same time, many brands are struggling to produce the sheer volume of creative assets needed to run successful marketing. Consumers are growing bored of seeing the same ad over and over again.
With Q4 in full swing, brands need to invest in their digital creative production and content variety in order to win over shoppers who will largely shop online, marking a very different and challenging holiday season for brands.
To gauge the importance of creative variety, the Creative Automation company Celtra conducted a survey with Dynata in Q3 2020, targeting 1,000 general U.S.-based consumers over 18 years of age. Here are the key findings of what consumers think about the ads and creative content they see from brands, what they want, and what brands should do about it.
Creative Variety Study: Key Findings
Consumers want creative variety – 66% of consumers find creative assets (ads, promotions, social posts, etc.) from brands to be repetitive.
67% want a variety of different storytelling approaches from brands so they don’t keep seeing the same ad/ creative over and over.
44% of consumers are annoyed by ads they have seen too many times. Creative refreshes are paramount to favorable perception.
Creative assets miss the mark – more than half (56%) of consumers find creative assets from brands not to be relevant to their likes and interests.
Consumers want to be known by brands – More than half (51%) find creative assets with relevant offers to be the most memorable, followed by an interesting story (37%). Combining an actionable offer with a unique creative angle helps brands stand out.
Consumers want to be entertained – having an entertaining story or message ranked highest in terms of being an element in a brand creative (ad, social post, etc.) that catches consumer’s eye. People are eager to consume content (even branded) online, this is a great opportunity for brands to deliver upon it.
Lastly, consistent branding matters – 60% of consumers are bothered or distrust a brand when ads or content doesn’t match the brand’s website or app or store. Investing in high-quality creative production will pay off.