The news: Consumers are increasingly receptive to digital ads and generative AI in marketing, per Kantar’s Media Reactions 2025 report.

• Average receptivity to ads continued its upward trajectory, with more than half (57%) of consumers feeling positively toward ads in general in 2025, up from 47% in 2024. But marketers remain concerned about fragmentation, with only two-thirds confident that they’re successfully integrating ad campaigns across channels.
• Attitudes toward genAI remain mixed, but are increasingly positive. While 57% of consumers were concerned about fake genAI ads, general attitudes toward the technology improved for both consumers and marketers: 68% of consumers felt positively about the possibilities for genAI in 2025 compared with 62% in 2024, while 75% of marketers felt positively compared with 68% a year prior.

Yes, but: Even as consumers grow more accepting of ads and the tools used to create them, ad-averse behaviors and low attentiveness persist.

Consumers frequently tune out ads, with less than half of US consumers stating they’ve noticed ads in search engines and nearly 40% saying they don’t normally see ads on social media. And a Clutch report found that 93% of consumers either skip or block ads, presenting a massive hurdle for advertisers to capture attention and convert users into customers.

Our take: While consumers increasingly see digital ads as the norm, advertisers must work harder than ever to cut through the clutter and deliver relevant, memorable experiences that drive action.

• There’s a disconnect between what channels consumers prefer to see ads on and where brands prefer to advertise: Kantar reports that consumers’ top ad spaces were Amazon, Snapchat, and TikTok, but marketers concentrated strategies on YouTube, Instagram, and Google. Shifting budgets to channels where consumers are more receptive will drive success.
• Certain ad formats are more likely to draw consumer attention. Prioritizing these formats over scale alone will prove valuable—methods like pause ads, influencer content, and in-game integrations provide high attention at key moments.
• GenAI can help produce ads at scale, but a cautious approach is critical. Remaining transparent about the use of AI in ads, targeting younger audiences like Gen Z who are more open to genAI ad campaigns, and using the tool selectively will offer opportunities to use AI without fracturing consumer trust.