Young Adults Most Accepting of Ads in Email & Most Likely to Click, but Relevancy & Targeting are Critical Ingredients in Engagement at Every Age

New research into consumer attitudes toward digital advertising finds that advertising placed in email newsletters is an effective way to engage audiences of every age, allowing advertisers to reach targeted demographics through a proven, trusted channel.

According to the study commissioned by PowerInbox, “How Adults Consume and Filter Information Online,” email newsletter subscribers willingly accept ads and sponsored content in exchange for the “free” content they receive from publishers. Over 40 percent said ads in emails don’t bother them, while 15 percent don’t even notice ads. And, nearly two out of three said they will actually click on ads they find interesting.

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Surprisingly, young adults (Generation Y) and Generation Z are the most accepting of email ads and the most likely to click on them. Over 60 percent of Gen Y and 50 percent of Gen Z aren’t bothered by or notice email ads, and 70 percent of Gen Z subscribers say they click on ads they find interesting and relevant. By comparison, the average click-thru rate on Facebook ads is 0.90 percent and for standard online display, CTR is just 0.05 percent.

The data, compiled by Mantis Research and available as an infographic, not only confirmed the effectiveness of email advertising for brands, but also dispelled publishers’ fears that consumers would be turned off by seeing ads in email newsletters. Fewer than one-third of adults said they would unsubscribe because of ads, and even fewer Baby Boomers (20 percent) said ads would send them looking for the unsubscribe button. In fact, while Baby Boomers were the least accepting of email ads, 57 percent still say they click on them if they’re relevant.

“This data confirms what we have been saying all along: email is an extremely effective channel for advertisers when it comes to reaching a captive, engaged audience,” said PowerInbox CEO Jeff Kupietzky. “It also confirmed that content relevancy is critical. That’s why using email as a unique identifier, which takes into account known subscriber behavior, is far more accurate for one-to-one targeting than browser-based cookies alone, which can’t distinguish between multiple users of the same browser or device.”

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For subscribers who are bothered by ads in email, the study found that irrelevancy is the No. 1 reason. Gen Z is particularly annoyed by ads for products they’ve already purchased, which underscores the need for publishers to offer precision targeting ad placement solutions that ensure subscribers see personalized ads based on their known subscriber profile.

The study also examined consumers’ acceptance of advertising in other, emerging digital channels, including push notifications, newsreader applications and chat bots.

PowerInbox’s automated email-based digital monetization platform matches advertisers with publishers to deliver real-time relevant sponsored content that’s personalized at the moment of open to newsletter and push notification subscribers and webpage visitors. The only digital monetization platform that offers direct integration with DFP and other mainstream online ad networks, PowerInbox lets publishers run cross-channel advertising programs that are easy to manage, all within a single dashboard while giving advertisers the ability to reach new high-value audiences through opt-in channels.

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