ArticlesPricing

Products

See All Solutions →
By ProductEMARKETER PRO+Analyst Access Program
By Use CaseDetermine Market SizingDevelop StrategiesAllocate BudgetBenchmark PerformanceWin New BusinessDevelop Go-to-Market StrategyStay InformedThought LeadershipSee All Use Cases →
Advertising & Sponsorship
Boost your brand and generate demand with media programs.
Learn More →

Events & Resources

Learning Center
Read through guides, explore resource hubs, and sample our coverage.
Learn More →
Events
Register for an upcoming webinar and track which industry events our analysts attend.
Learn More →
Podcasts
Listen to our podcast, Behind the Numbers for the latest news and insights.
Learn More →

Topics

See All Topics →
Advertising & MarketingSocial MediaContent MarketingEmail MarketingVideoBrowse All →
Ecommerce & RetailEcommerce SalesMcommerceRetail SalesSocial CommerceBrowse All →
Financial ServicesBankingPaymentsFintechWealth ManagementBrowse All →
GeographiesAsia-PacificCentral & Eastern EuropeLatin AmericaMiddle East & AfricaNorth AmericaWestern Europe
HealthValue-Based CareDigital TherapeuticsTelehealthOnline PharmacyBrowse All →
TechnologyConnected Devices5GArtificial Intelligence (AI)Browse All →
More IndustriesReal EstateCustomer ExperienceB2BTravelSmall Business (SMB)Browse All →

Latest Articles

Explore our Research →

The big answers: EMARKETER Daily quiz

Article |
 Aug 13, 2025

Chime’s successful earnings prove its status as a top financial competitor

Article |
 Aug 13, 2025

Gen X leads global consumer spending in 2025

Article |
 Aug 13, 2025

From Prime Day to Summerween: The retail calendar is being reinvented

Article |
 Aug 13, 2025

As more consumers choose driving vacations this year, brands meet them on the road

Article |
 Aug 13, 2025

Privacy concerns cloud AI enthusiasm among C-suite executives

Article |
 Aug 12, 2025

Marketers tune into podcasts amid a noisy ad landscape

Article |
 Aug 12, 2025

Google’s personalized news feed update could sideline SEO strategies, create echo chambers

Article |
 Aug 12, 2025

How will changes to 401(k)s affect bank customers and their trust in banks?

Article |
 Aug 12, 2025

Digital health company offers quick launch D2C Rx platform

Article |
 Aug 12, 2025
Browse All →

About

Our Story
Learn more about our mission and how EMARKETER came to be.
Learn More →
Our Clients
Key decision-makers share why they find EMARKETER so critical.
Learn More →
Our People
Take a look into our corporate culture and view our open roles.
Join the Team →
Our Methodology
Rigorous proprietary data vetting strips biases and produces superior insights.
Learn More →
Newsroom
See our latest press releases, news articles or download our press kit.
Learn More →
Contact Us
Speak to a member of our team to learn more about EMARKETER.
Contact Us →
EMARKETER

How Consumers Perceive Ads

Behavioral Targeting Is Top of Mind

Report by Max Willens  |  Dec 13, 2024
Download
Report
Deck
Crosstabs
Executive Summary
Share
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Consumers are very good at tuning out digital advertising
Most consumers have taken steps to limit or shape the ads they see and hear
Most consumers have noticed ads that use behavioral targeting
Consumers are more aware of behavioral targeting than demographic targeting
Targeting does not make an ad seem substantially more intrusive
Consumers don’t think advertising works on them
How marketers can respond
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
Consumers are fairly good at ignoring or tuning out ads. But they are very aware when ads target them based on their online activity. However, that knowledge does not automatically result in a more negative perception of the ads themselves.
Topics
Digital Advertising
Consumer Attitudes on Marketing
Consumer Privacy & Security
US
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Consumers are very good at tuning out digital advertising
Most consumers have taken steps to limit or shape the ads they see and hear
Most consumers have noticed ads that use behavioral targeting
Consumers are more aware of behavioral targeting than demographic targeting
Targeting does not make an ad seem substantially more intrusive
Consumers don’t think advertising works on them
How marketers can respond
Sources
Media Gallery

Consumers have a spotty understanding of how their personal data is used to show them targeted online ads. But they are very aware when advertisers use their past digital activity as part of their targeting strategy.

Key Question: How do consumers feel about the use of their personal information for ad targeting? How does it shape their thoughts about ads?

Targeting Does Not Make Consumers View Ads as More Intrusive (% of US consumers who have noticed an ad vs. find it at least
E-Mail ChartDownload

Key Stat: No ad targeting method is viewed as “very intrusive” or worse by a majority of US consumers, per our survey.

Here’s what’s in the full report

4files

Exportable files for easy reading, analysis and sharing.

7charts

Reliable data in simple displays for presentations and quick decision making.

Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. Consumers are very good at tuning out digital advertising
  3. Most consumers have taken steps to limit or shape the ads they see and hear
  4. Most consumers have noticed ads that use behavioral targeting
  1. Consumers are more aware of behavioral targeting than demographic targeting
  2. Targeting does not make an ad seem substantially more intrusive
  3. Consumers don’t think advertising works on them
  4. How marketers can respond
  1. Sources
  2. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

Targeting Does Not Make Consumers View Ads as More Intrusive (% of US consumers who have noticed an ad vs. find it at least "very intrusive," by ad format, May 2024)Consumers Often Miss Ads as They Use the Internet (% of US consumers, May 2024)
More Than Three-Quarters of US Consumers Have Used At Least One Privacy Tool (% of US consumers, May 2024)Nearly 8 in 10 US Consumers Say They've Noticed Ads Based On Their Search History (% of US consumers, May 2024)
US Consumers Are More Likely to Notice Behavioral Targeting Than Demographic Targeting (% of US consumers who selected "always" or "often," May 2024)Less Than One-Third of US Consumers Think Targeted Ads Are Even Moderately Influential (% of US consumers, May 2024)
Gen Z Is Almost 3 Times as Likely as Gen X to Find Targeted Ads at Least Very Influential (% of US consumers, by generation, May 2024)

authors

Max Willens

Contributors

Rahul Chadha
Director, Report Editing
Vladimir de Leon
Chart Editor
Na Li
Director, Primary Research
Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf
Jennifer Pearson
VP, Research
Naomi Rebuelta
Copy Editor
Emman Velasco
Chart Editor
Yoram Wurmser
Principal Analyst
Already have a subscription?Sign In

Access All Charts and Data

Gain access to reliable data presented in clear and intelligible displays for quick understanding and decision making on the most important topics related to your industry

Become a Client
Unlock Unlimited Insights with PRO+
Schedule a Demo