While not all teens trust advertising, most admit it influences them

Paul HiebertData Journalist
May 30, 2017, 12:54 PM GMT+0

A new survey of US teenagers suggests that the majority both find ads helpful and enjoy watching promos starring celebrities

Fresh data from YouGov shows what many might have suspected all along: teens aren't like their parents. Shocking, right? But it's how they're different in regard to advertising that might prove more surprising, while also revealing key insights for marketers.

First, unlike American adults aged 18+ who, for the most part, don't agree that advertising helps them choose what to buy and don't enjoy watching promotional spots starring their favorite celebrities, a new poll shows that the majority of US teenagers aged 13-17 do.

As the chart above illustrates, 58% of American teens agree that advertising helps guide their desires and purchase decisions. Meanwhile, 55% say they enjoy watching ads that feature their favorite celebrities.

At the same time, however, results show that teens are split on the question of trust in advertising: 47% say they trust the ads they see, read, or hear; 46% say they don't.

Older folks take a different perspective. According to a YouGov survey conducted last March, 61% of US adults aged 18+ exposed to advertising at least once per month report that they generally trust the advertisements they see, read, or hear.

This sentiment has changed compared to three years ago, when US adults felt more or less the same as today's youth. In March 2014, exactly half of Americans aged 18+ indicated that they trust the ads they see, read, or hear, while the other half said otherwise.

Full survey results available here