Consumer resistance to marketing is at an all-time high. The saturated marketplace, intrusiveness of advertising and promotions, and lack of appropriate targeting have caused the backlash−and are also causing the power and productivity of marketing efforts to plummet, according to a study by Yankelovich Partners, a marketing services consultancy based in Chapel Hill, NC.
Some 60% of consumers have a much more negative opinion of marketing and advertising now than a few years ago, the study found. Sixty-four percent questioned the practices and motives of marketers and advertisers, and 61% reported that marketers and advertisers don’t treat consumers with respect. Even more unsettling, 65% want more limits and regulations on marketing and advertising, and 69% are interested in products and services to help them skip or block marketing promotions.
To reverse the trend, marketers need to move away from the pattern of market saturation, clutter, and intrusiveness to a model where the marketing practice itself is viewed as a source of competitive advantage, J. Walker Smith, president of Yankelovich, said during the American Association of Advertising Agencies Conference earlier this month: “In practical terms, this means truly delivering precise and relevant messages geared toward specific individuals, while empowering consumers and providing reciprocity of some kind for their time and attention.”