• by Ray Schultz , March 2, 2023

Here is a lesson for publishers and advertisers both: 63% of consumers prefer contextually related ads, according to Undercover Context: Driving consumer engagement through non-obvious contextual links, a study by Integral Ad Science (IAS). 

Asked why they like such ads, consumers say: 

• They feature products I need/provide additional product options—64% 
• They are more interesting/introduce me to interesting products—63%
• They are more likely to be personally applicable to me—40%
• They shorten the time I spend shopping online by anticipating what I’m purchasing—26% 
• They allow me to feel more immersed in the content I am consuming—26%

Moreover, 35% of consumers are annoyed by ads unrelated to the surrounding content, 28% feel  these ads are more disruptive than related ones and 22% are confused by unrelated advertising.

Journalists might object to the most blatant links. But the consumers surveyed have positive feelings about: 

• An advertised product that is directly referenced in the surrounding content—49%
• An ad that visually matches the surrounding content—42%
• An ad that draws a thematic link between the surrounding content and the advertised product—39% 
• An ad that features the same celebrity as the surrounding content—33%
• An advertised product that is indirectly related to the surrounding content—27%
• An advertised product that is completely unrelated to the surrounding content—19% 

(It should be noted that IAS offers a similarity algorithm and is pushing this capability). 

There also is a privacy element. Consumers are less concerned with contextual targeting than that based on cookies:

They are most concerned with advertisers that:

• Show ads to individual users based on their online behavior—41% 
• Show ads to individual users based on their demographic profile—30% 
• Show ads on individual webpages upon examining the content of that page—29% 

To provide an example of ad context, IAS offers this for a fashion-related retail ad (based on its algorithms): 

Related headline:

EXCLUSIVE: IMG Unveils Programming for New York Fashion Week: The Shows 

Semi-related headline: 

The Most daring Looks Celebrities have worn on the VMA’s Red Carpet Over the Years 

Unrelated headline:

Marvel & DC’s 6 Most Anticipated 2023 Movies, According to New Data

IAS surveyed 1,113 U.S. consumers in Q4 2022.