:: adgruntie :: AMA and consumer-generated ads

+ American Marketing Association (AMA) unveiled research that shows consumers believe companies who use customer-created advertising are more creative, customer-friendly and innovative than companies that use only professionally created advertising.

AMA's survey revealed that compared to a company that uses only professional advertising, most adults feel that a company that uses customer-created advertising is more customer-friendly (68 percent), creative (56 percent), and innovative (55 percent). However, young adults are generally more skeptical than their older counterparts. Respondents between the ages of 18 and 24 are more likely than those between the ages of 25 and 64 to say a company that uses customer-created advertising is less trustworthy (21 percent versus 10 percent, respectively), less socially-responsible (20 percent versus 10 percent, respectively) and less customer-friendly (13 percent versus 5 percent, respectively).
"Allowing consumers to contribute to brand message demands two things," said Costopulos. "First, you must know your audience base and what influences and motivates them. Second, you must be clear about what success for your organization looks like -- companies need to have measurement that shows how this impacts the brand."
Costopulos added, "There is still a hesitancy for organizations to give up this control as companies have spent millions to build brand relevancy. However, giving consumers more interaction with the brand has a direct effect on a company's overall perception in the marketplace. Young adults' skepticism may be rooted in their desire to distance themselves from company-sponsored messages. Organizations need to find a way to give this audience even more control and autonomy in the process."
The research also revealed that:
-- Respondents 25 years of age and older are more likely than those between the ages of 18 and 24 to say a company that uses customer-created advertising is more creative than a company that uses only professional advertising (58 percent versus 44 percent, respectively).
-- Half of the respondents say they feel a company that uses customer-created advertising is just as trustworthy (50 percent) as one that uses only professional advertising.