New research shows that US consumers feel ignored by most media and advertisers. And it’s not so much that they’re not hearing from brands, but that they are being overwhelmed with ads. They are also concerned about being tracked online. 

Both consumers and brands want a connection and conversation with each other. Consumers know that brands are constantly collecting data about them. So why do so many consumers (70%) say the ads targeting them are irrelevant? And when two-thirds (67%) of consumers say they hate having targeted ads track them, why does this behavior continue? Both of these issues imply that marketers are simply out of touch with consumers, regardless of their data.

Consumers and marketers have different price points. Data from the research shows that while consumers seek approval for purchases ≥$100 and conduct research prior to making these purchases, marketers make purchases of >$1,000 without permission and often within hours or days.

Consumers and marketers also differ on some personal values, such as family, health, religion, safety and law and order. Consumers tend to place significantly greater interest in these values than marketers.

This research shows that brands have some work to do to improve their connections and communications with consumers.