• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, December 17, 2009

According to a new Synovate study on which media are the most effective in targeting Americans and their daily media habits, Americans can't live without the internet, want to see advertisements that are innovative, and are open to new technologies that monitor their media usage if privacy is maintained.

Steve Garton, Executive Director of Synovate's media research group, said, "... understanding the media channels that are important in consumers' everyday lives, marketers can derive valuable insights on where consumers are the most receptive to marketing communications."

The cell phone has become an increasingly prevalent channel for Americans to receive news and information, and the rise in smart phones has increased mobile marketing and advertising efforts. 35% percent of people in the US say they cannot live without their cell phones, but as their use of mobile devices has grown, their attitude towards increased mobile marketing is still a bit hesitant. 39% of Americans feel the amount of ads they see now are sufficient, while 54% say they would not accept more ads via their mobile devices even if paid to do so.

58% of Americans say they can't live without the Internet, the highest response across all 11 markets surveyed. However, even though 56% of people in the US say there are too many ads on the Internet, and 41% say they avoid websites with intrusive ads more often than they did a year ago, 52% are open to seeing more ads on the Internet if paid to do so.

Only 5% of Americans said they could easily live without TV, while 34% said they can't live without it. Across all markets surveyed, people, 68% globally and 71% of Americans think there are too many ads on TV. The report suggests that this may be why 48% of people globally and 44% in the US say they skip ads more often than they did a year ago, by either turning down the TV, changing the channel or fast forwarding through commercials.

However, 52% of Americans also say they'd be willing to watch the ads if paid to watch them, such as through money off their cable bill. The US was the second highest market globally that said this, after Spain at 57%.

Americans show less use of social media to promote a brand or ad compared to the rest of the globe, says the study. 13% of people globally, and 8% of Americans, say they are discussing ads with their friends more than they did a year ago, while 11% globally and 8% of Americans are searching more for ads online on the social network.

68% of people globally, and 63% of Americans, say they have never promoted a brand on their social networking page, though 9% of Americans say they are doing this more often compared to a year ago. The number of people following brands on Twitter remains low, with only 5% of people globally and 4% of Americans saying they've done this.

In responding to the question "In thinking about the ads you enjoy the most, which characteristic is most common in these ads?" the variations of responses to this question are enlightening, says the report:

• Ads that are Innovative / Unique are most well-received, with more than one in five (21%) of people globally and in the US liking them
• Spontaneous / Playful (the second most admired attribute), liked by 16% of people around the globe and 17% in the US
• Optimistic / Happy Straightforward (third most admired), with 14% liking this globally and 12% in the US

Garton said, "... the most popular ads tap into this need of fun and light-heartedness. People are down and bored with the negative news... and want something upbeat to lift their spirits."

With regard for the potential for behavioral marketing, respondents were asked, "How would you feel if websites and TV channels developed technology that monitored what you use and watch so they would only show ads on brands and products they thought would interest you?"

• 26% globally, and 32% of Americans, say they would like this technology if none of the data could identify them
• An additional 35% of Americans aren't convinced they couldn't be individually identified, so they aren't interested in this technology at all

For more information from Synovate, please visit them here.