A new study from iHeartMedia shows that a large portion of American consumers feel they’ve been overlooked by marketers in a growing disconnect.
In conjunction with Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries, iHeartMedia released its second annual “The New American Consumer 2.0” study at its AudioCon 2024 on Tuesday. That study found that 44% feel overlooked by advertisers.
iHeartMedia Chief Marketing Officer Gayle Troberman shared that despite more data being available, more Americans feel like marketers don’t care about their wants and needs.
“We have more data than ever, yet nearly half of American consumers feel ignored,” said Troberman. “We need to ensure our marketing decisions are driven by consumer realities, not our personal perceptions. This study lays out where our perception matches the marketplace and where there are major differences — so we can use that information to make new and better decisions about maximizing the appeal of our products to all consumers, not just those who align with our own perceptions and values.”
In the study, 72% shared they avoid purchasing from brands that ignore them while another 75% said they would spend more money with brands that align with their beliefs.
“Today’s consumers are more aware of the social and economic landscape and hold brands to higher standards,” said Gladwell.
Also noted in the study was the majority of those surveyed sharing they don’t like being tracked by targeted digital advertising, with 67% sharing they disliked the practice. An additional 70% stated they felt the ads were often irrelevant to their purchasing practices.
