Consumers Give Opinions on Ads with Recession Messages

Americans are split on attitudes towards advertising that mentions the recession and economic troubles; two in five, however, do not have an opinion on these types of ads.

-- Chain Leader, 10/14/2009 7:54:00 AM

PRESS RELEASE: NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As economic woes continue, advertisers have to decide how to deal with the issue of the recession. Some ignore it and find different ways to encourage people to buy in troubled economic times while others put the economic troubles front and center and mention the recession. What strategy actually works is a different issue altogether and the American consumer is mixed about that.

Just over one-quarter of Americans (27%) say advertisements which mention the economic troubles and the recession make the brand seem more manipulative while just under one-quarter (23%) say the advertisements make the brand seem more realistic. Just over one in ten (12%) say these types of advertisements are depressing and make them less likely to purchase the brand. Two in five Americans (39%), however, have no opinion about advertisements which mention the recession.

These are some of the findings of a new Adweek Media/Harris Poll®, survey of 2,186 U.S. adults surveyed online between September 25 and 29, 2009 by Harris Interactive^®.

Different groups have different attitudes on these ads

Different groups have different opinions on advertisements which mention the recession and economic troubles. Men are more likely than women to say these ads make the brand seem more manipulative (29% versus 25%) while women are more likely to believe these ads make the brand more realistic (27% versus 18%).

There are also age differences on ads which use the recession. Those aged 18-34 are more likely than those aged 55 and older to say these types of ads make the brand more realistic (27% versus 18%).

Education and household income are other differentiators on the use of the recession in advertisements. Looking at education, those with a college degree are more likely than those with a high school or less education to have an opinion at all, both believing that the ads make the brand seem more manipulative (31% versus 24%) and make the brand seem more realistic (26% versus 17%). Those who have a household income of less than $35,000 are more likely than those with an income of $75,000 or more to say the ads are depressing and make them less likely to purchase the brand (16% versus 8%). Those with a household income between $50,000 and $74,999 a year are more likely to make a brand more manipulative (32%).

So What?

Advertisers have to walk a fine line with their ads when dealing with the economic issues Americans are currently facing. Do they discuss the recession or pretend it doesn’t exist? We know there are certain tactics which work better than others for addressing the economy (mostly value propositions and luxuries for less), so when it comes to actually mentioning the recession, these tactics should be interwoven so advertisers do not seem to be manipulating the consumer or, even worse, depressing them and leading them to not purchase the brand.

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

The Harris Poll ^® #113, October 14, 2009

By Regina A. Corso, Director, The Harris Poll

Methodology

This Adweek Media/Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States September 25 and 29, 2009 among 2,186 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is a global leader in custom market research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research, powered by our science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris Interactive serves clients globally through our North American, European and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com

About AdweekMedia

AdweekMedia encompasses the publications, websites, digital products and events produced by Adweek, Brandweek and Mediaweek. Through this dynamic media network, each brand keeps the agency, marketing and media communities competitive and connected by delivering the latest news and expert analysis most relevant to their specific needs.

AdweekMedia is part of Nielsen Business Media, which is a unit of The Nielsen Company. Nielsen Business Media is a leading market-focused provider of integrated information and sales and marketing solutions, helping businesses go to market more effectively and efficiently. For more see www.adweek.com.

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