75% of executives have seen advertising next to inappropriate content

Misplaced ads are more prevalent than you might think. This is according to Thomson Reuters' Tomorrow's News report, whereby 75% of respondents (out of over 1,580 global executives) reported seeing adverts alongside inappropriate content. 

The survey respondents also confirmed the potential damage this causes - 77% said they agree that advertising next to inappropriate content can damage the perception of a brand.

Interestingly, however, respondents also say that it is the brand’s responsibility where adverts are placed, with 62% agreeing that “brands have full control over where their advertising appears”.

Reuters also reports on the growing scepticism of social media as a news source, with 24% trusting stories shared on social compared to 28% last year, and 38% actively sharing news compared to 49% in 2017.

ads next to inappropriate content

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Over a quarter of marketers received no training prior to GDPR

The DMA’s latest research, which delves into how the industry is adapting to the new GDPR regulations, has revealed that 27% (or one in four) marketers received no specific training prior to the deadline. 

Meanwhile, when asked if they were ready come 25th May, the majority of respondents said they were both aware and prepared, with 71% saying their organisations were equipped.

Now, more marketers think that the GDPR will have no financial impact, with the percentage of respondents agreeing rising from 19% to 28%. Looking ahead to the upcoming ePrivacy regulation, 74% of respondents say they are also aware of the legislation.

For more on this topic, check out Econsultancy’s GDPR survival pack for any content you might have missed.

financial impact of GDPR

20% of smart-speaker owning Brits use them to boil an egg

With reports suggesting that one in 10 Brits now own at least one voice activated device, Code Computerlove has surveyed more than 1,000 smart speaker owners to discover exactly how they are being used. 

The most popular reason for use is perhaps unsurprising - 65% of respondents say they use them to play music or the radio, and half of owners do so for news and weather reports. Perhaps less expected is the 20% of respondents who say they have used their voice assistant to find out how long to boil an egg.

But only 7% have used them to buy anything

Meanwhile, 16.2% say they use voice devices for getting travel updates and 8.2% for playing audiobooks. Interestingly, only 7% of users say they have ever bought anything via their smart speaker.

It seems not everyone is satisfied with their device however. Despite 40% of consumers using their smart speaker daily, and a further 40% at least once a week, 60% said that devices not understanding them properly, giving wrong answers, or boring them are factors that typically put them off.

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UK companies risk losing £107 billion for failing to maintain customer relevance

According to Accenture’s ‘Living Business’ report, companies in the UK are struggling to keep up with consumer needs, which could potentially result in huge losses if the situation continues. This part of the report comes from a survey of 1,000 C-level executives.

Accenture also states that 55% of UK consumers typically switch companies that no longer meet their needs, and 47% get frustrated when companies fail to use their personal information to make interactions and offers more relevant. Once they are gone, more than one quarter of those consumers are unlikely to return. As a result, it is predicted that companies could lose up to £107 billion in revenue.

In contrast to this, the report suggests that companies that have a deep understanding of customers’ changing digital needs and preferences are better able to identify areas ripe for disruption and growth.

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32% of people say they still access Facebook more than six times a day

While news reports suggest that social media platforms are losing favour, research from MentionMe has found that users are still accessing them multiple times a day. In a survey of 2,000 UK consumers, 70% of people said they access Facebook at least once a day, while 49% said the same for WhatsApp, 55% for YouTube, 36% for Twitter, and 32% for Instagram.

Of these respondents, 32% said they access Facebook over six times a day, while 24% said the same for WhatsApp, 15% for Snapchat, and 14% for Twitter. 

Other interesting findings from the survey include 48% of 18 to 25 year olds saying they never watch the news, while 15% of this age group say they use Twitter to find out what's happening in the world.

Despite conflicting reports, usage of Facebook peaks with younger demographics, with those using it at least once a day including 80% aged 18 to 24, 80% aged 25 to 44, 70% aged 45 to 54 and 58% aged 55+. Finally, the popularity of LinkedIn also drops off with age, with 27% of users aged 34 and under using it at least once a day, compared with 21% aged 35-54, and only 9% of those users aged over 55.

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Mix of email marketing tactics found to generate success

Return Path’s latest report aims to find out what separates high performing email marketing from the rest, using the survey responses of 450 email marketers to do so.

It found that the use of email marketing technologies helps brands to engage with users in a more meaningful way. For instance, among participants with above average open rates, nearly three quarters report using technology that helps them preview email campaigns.

Meanwhile, goal setting is also attributed to success, with participants who reported improved performance being five times more likely to have specific email marketing objectives in place.

Finally, the most successful marketers - i.e. those with above average open rates, improving email marketing effectiveness, and revenue growth - report a far greater understanding of subscriber preferences and behaviours.

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