The quality of the media environment plays a major role in how consumers perceive brands and their advertising, according to a new study by The Trade Desk and PA Consulting. Up to 85 per cent of respondents said they trust brands that advertise in premium media more. Moreover, this effect translates into a higher willingness to buy and a stronger brand association, according to expert platform Warc.
The research was conducted among 4,500 consumers in the US, UK and France and analysed 50 premium and 20 non-premium media brands across digital channels, streaming services and audio. Factors such as site design and navigation, user experience, media reputation and perceived credibility were assessed. Particular attention was paid to the role advertising plays in the overall impression of a 'premium' environment.
A stronger link to brands
The results show that ads on premium platforms, including Disney , Spotify, Sky Sports and The Economist, elicit a 30 per cent higher emotional and cognitive connection to brands. Users rated these ads as twice as popular and almost twice as respected as those appearing elsewhere.
In contrast, less premium environments, such as aggregator sites or social networks, where advertising often operates separately from content, elicit lower connections to quality and credibility. According to the study authors, ads here are 1.5 times less often associated with positive brand attributes than in premium media, despite the large reach of these platforms.
Context makes the difference
The study also confirms that it is not just the creativity of the ads themselves that is crucial, but also the environment in which they appear. "Even a brand with original creative loses impact if it appears in a medium that audiences don't trust," said Sara Picazo, director of research and analysis at The Trade Desk.
One of the key insights, she said, is that consumers rate as premium those environments where advertising is naturally linked to content. Coherence between advertising messages and editorial or entertainment content reinforces perceptions of quality and contributes to greater trust.
The results thus confirm a long-term trend: consumers attach considerable importance to the context in which they see advertising. For advertisers, the choice of a quality media environment is therefore as important as the content of the campaign itself.
Source: mediaguru.cz