Integral Ad Science, a publicly owned American technology company that analyzes the value of digital advertising placements, has published the report “Social Media Ad Receptivity”, relating to the perception of Italian consumers online towards advertising on social media.
Social media is worth nearly 10 percent of online shopping traffic
by Pierluca Santoro
The study (requires registration) aims to shed light on consumers’ general use of social media and to understand their “receptivity” (sensitivity) to in-feed advertising in this dynamic content environment. In particular, it was analyzed how consumers’ perception of in-feed advertising changes alongside contextually relevant content within social media and how it affects purchase intent and vision towards the brand / advertiser.
In Italy, for companies, brands, institutions and organizations, social media has become an important channel for reaching consumers online and, according to data from Statista, advertising spending is expected to reach over 1.8 billion by 2025. of Euro. A growth of 47.9% compared to the consolidated 2020.
Advertising spend on the Amazon Sponsored Display format increased by 39% in Italy
by Pier Luca Santoro
According to the Ias study, in the last year 91% of Italian online consumers have interacted with advertising on social media. 1 out of 2 Italian consumers are more likely to interact with in-feed ads than open web ads. The integrated nature of in-feed ads allows consumers to engage with minimal effort and discomfort about their social media experience. In fact, half of Italian consumers say they are more likely to interact with in-feed ads than with those on the open web.
Consumers are comfortable shopping via social media. Italian consumers are not only willing to interact with brands in social environments, but they are also increasingly willing to make a purchase. 15% of the total are Italian consumers online who have purchased a product or service advertised on their social feed.
The major Meta advertising investors in Italy
by Pier Luca Santoro
Due to the personal nature of social media, consumers are more aware of inappropriate ads when they appear on their social feed. 30% of Italian online consumers argue that the growth of fake news has made them less confident of ads on social feeds. While more than 3 in 5 Italian consumers believe that social media platforms are responsible for ads appearing near unsafe content, almost 2 in 5 of respondents believe that brands should also be responsible.
60% of the total are Italian online consumers who feel favorable towards brands whose in-feed ads on social media are displayed next to content that aligns with the image of the brand itself. And 59% feel supportive of brands whose social in-feed ads have messages related to surrounding content being viewed. These factors also promote ad memorability. In fact, 54% say they would remember an in-feed ad if it were contextually relevant to the surrounding content. Consumers’ purchase intent towards a brand is influenced by the surrounding content on the social feed. 49% of respondents say they likely won’t purchase a product or service advertised on the social feed that is close to unsafe content. And 48% are likely to purchase a product or service advertised on their social feed if it is related to the content viewed.
