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- US Digital Advertising Market Report 2024
While 74% of Americans think that ads are a necessary part of the internet, 62% do not trust recommendations from paid advertisements online, and 67% believe that there are so many digital ads that they don’t really even notice them anymore.
Digital advertising in the US is undergoing a transformative era in 2024, driven by a blend of technological innovation and strategic consumer engagement. Brands are increasingly focusing on tailoring their campaigns using sophisticated data analytics to gain insights into consumer behavior, preferences, and pain points. This personalization is crucial in reaching older demographics through targeted email marketing, while younger audiences are engaged through captivating social media strategies that incorporate interactive and shareable content. Promotional incentives such as exclusive deals and shoppable ads have become essential tools for maintaining consumer interest and driving conversions. Despite regulatory challenges, companies like Google continue to push forward with AI-driven advancements, enhancing ad personalization, and optimizing consumer engagement. Amazon’s innovative integration of live sports and ecommerce exemplifies the future of digital advertising, where content transforms seamlessly into commerce, capturing both attention and purchasing power. Brands that successfully navigate this evolving landscape by combining pragmatic solutions with creative storytelling will maintain their competitive edge and visibility.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Daily device usage
- Digital content and media consumption
- Digital ad exposure and recall
- How consumers are responding to online ads
- Why consumers are typically clicking online ads
- Positive ad experiences
- Attitudes toward advertising
In 2024, repetition is the enemy. Ad quality over quantity is imperative to engage consumers. Furthermore, as consumers desire increasingly personalized experiences, utilizing AI is essential to keep up with the pack.
Candace Baldassarre, Research Analyst
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Executive Summary
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- What consumers want & why
- Opportunities
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Market Dynamics
- Market context
- The US expanded by 3% in Q2 2024
- Graph 1: quarterly real GDP growth, 2020-24
- Unemployment fell again in September
- Graph 2: unemployment rate, 2019-24
- Annual inflation is within range of the Federal Reserve's 2% target rate
- Graph 3: headline CPI and core CPI, 2021-24
- Over 40% of consumers have seen their financial situations change for the better in the past year
- Graph 4: change in financial situation over the past 12 months, 2024
- Households' growth in finances has primarily been driven by salary gains
- Graph 5: income growth over the past 12 months, by change in financial situation, 2024
- Households' outlooks on their personal finances remains bullish
- Graph 6: income growth in the past 12 months, by financial outlook, 2024
- Graph 7: opinions on financial future, 2023-24
- The US population is becoming increasingly diverse
- Graph 8: percent of US population, by Hispanic Origin, 2018-28
- Graph 9: percent of US population, by race, 2018-28
- Market drivers
- The fate of TikTok in America is/was uncertain
- California puts its foot down on removing digitally purchased content
- FTC introduces click-to-cancel
- Lawsuits around children and social media persist
- Amazon sells out of Black Friday NFL ad inventory
- Google delays depreciation of third-party cookies…for now
- X updates Terms of Service to address AI training
- The World Federation of Advertisers shutters its GARM initiative
- Greenwashing accusations plague Shell in the UK
- Google imposes limits on data retention
- Netflix ad revenue increases…
- …and it sells out Christmas football ad space
- Ads coming to Threads sooner than expected?
- Mobile app daily average users for the top 10 social networks
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Digital content and media consumption
- YouTube stands apart from the pack
- Graph 10: sources of audio and/or video content in past seven days, 2024
- Age has everything to do with content consumption
- Graph 11: have seen/heard content from TV services in past seven days, by age, 2024
- Graph 12: sources of audio and/or video content in past seven days (select), by age, 2024
- Women's preference for social media is prominent
- Graph 13: sources of audio and/or video content in past seven days (select), by gender, 2024
- TV services from linear providers aren't affordable for all
- Graph 14: sources of audio and/or video content in past seven days (select), by household financial situation, 2024
- Graph 15: have seen/heard content from TV services in past seven days, by household income, 2024
- TV services from linear providers aren't affordable for all
- Differing preferences for content appear across race
- Graph 16: sources of audio and/or video content in past seven days (select), by race, 2024
- Spanish speakers differently watching and listening
- Graph 17: sources of audio and/or video content in past seven days (select), overall vs Spanish speakers, 2024
- Where you live and what you watch
- Graph 18: sources of audio and/or video content in past seven days (select), by area lived, 2024
- Device usage
- Nearly every American adult uses both a smartphone and TV daily
- …and nearly half of consumers spend five or more hours on their smartphone per day
- Graph 19: daily device usage, by number of hours, 2024
- Appealing to heavy device users demands attention to age
- Graph 20: heavy device users (5+ hours per day), by age, 2024
- Gaming consoles are part of the fabric of younger men's lives
- Black (and Hispanic) consumers' device usage stands out
- Graph 21: heavy device users (5+ hours per day), overall vs Black vs Hispanic consumers, 2024
- Smartphones are especially essential for those in less-than-ideal financial situations
- Graph 22: heavy smartphone users (5+ hours per day), by household financial situation, 2024
- Digital ad exposure and recall
- Consumers are regularly bombarded with ads…
- Graph 23: types of online ads seen/heard in past seven days, 2024
- …but people are not always aware of what they are seeing
- Age impacts recall
- Graph 24: types of online ads seen/heard in past seven days, by age, 2024
- Half of over-65s have seen an email ad in the past week
- Responding to online ads
- Consumers' responses to online ads are multifaceted
- Graph 25: actions taken after seeing an online ad in the past seven days, 2024
- Older consumers don't recall taking action to seeing online ads
- Graph 26: actions taken after seeing an online ad in the past seven days, by age, 2024
- Convincing over-55s: an ethnographic vignette
- Multicultural consumers are more engaged with online ads they've seen
- Graph 27: actions taken after seeing an online ad in the past seven days (select), by race, 2024
- Purchases are poppin' in the Northeast
- Graph 28: have made a purchase because of an online ad seen in the past seven days, by census region, 2024
- Dial into dads' openness to purchasing
- Making ads fun to talk about
- Dunkin' delights with humor at Halloween
- Parents are chatting about ads they see
- Reasons for clicking online ads
- Consumers are clicking on things they are interested in
- Graph 29: reasons for typically clicking online ads, 2024
- Consumers are clicking on things they are interested in
- Younger and middle-aged consumers can be swayed by bells and whistles
- Graph 30: reasons for typically clicking online ads, by age, 2024
- Gender compounds age-related differences
- Graph 31: reasons for typically clicking online ads (select), 2024
- Ryan Reynolds continues to be the cornerstone of Mint Mobile's campaigns, creating a consistent and reliable brand identity
- Authenticity is essential
- Kerrygold and KitchenAid's influencer-brand collabs come naturally
- Skip The Dishes harnesses Twitch fandom
- Don't forget to pay attention to race-based nuances
- Graph 32: reasons for typically clicking online ads (select), by race, 2024
- Parents show a proclivity for clicking on ads differently
- Graph 33: reasons for typically clicking online ads (select), overall vs moms vs dads, 2024
- Some people just like a good deal
- Graph 34: typically prompted to click online ads due to special pricing/promotion, by household financial situation, 2024
- Positive ad experiences
- Consumers want you to give it to them straight
- Graph 35: "I prefer when digital ads…", 2024
- Coors Light brings the excitement home with their broken can
- Gender's impact on ad preferences
- Age has everything to do with ad preferences
- Graph 36: "I prefer when digital ads…" (select), by age, 2024
- Graph 37: "I prefer when digital ads…" (select), by age, 2024
- Milk-Bone tells a story with humor
- Dads dig influencers and celebs
- Multicultural Americans' preferences are markedly different
- Graph 38: "I prefer when digital ads…" (select), by race, 2024
- Culture and heritage is an essential part of Black Americans' identity
- Not all tactics are equally appreciated by urban and rural Americans
- Graph 39: "I prefer when digital ads…" (select), by area lived, 2024
- Consider collaborating with celebrities resonant with Northeastern states
- Graph 40: "I prefer when digital ads feature a celebrity or influencer", by census region, 2024
- You can't go wrong with a good deal
- Graph 41: "I prefer when digital ads inform me about sales/promotions", by household income, 2024
- Attitudes toward advertising
- The paradox of advertising
- Older consumers need more convincing around ads
- Graph 42: attitudes toward advertising (% agree), by age, 2024
- Consumers feel fatigue around ads…
- …and are struggling to parse through the noise
- Age and gender impact attitudes around ad intrusiveness
- Graph 43: attitudes toward advertising (% agree), by age, 2024
- The future of ads is at an exciting inflection point
- The impacts of age and gender are obvious
- Graph 44: attitudes toward advertising (% agree), by gender, 2024
- Graph 45: attitudes toward advertising (% agree), by age, 2024
- Netflix blurs the line between video content consumption and clothing shopping
- Midwestern states need further convincing around QR codes
- Graph 46: "I have used a QR code featured in a digital ad" (% agree), by census region, 2024
- Spanish speakers show a keen interest in QR codes
- Graph 47: "I have used a QR code featured in a digital ad " (% agree), by language spoken, 2024
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Innovation and Marketing Trends
- Launch activity and innovation
- TikTok takes a try at sports with a focus on Messi
- Amazon's focus on AI innovation pays off
- Google overhauls its Shopping platform with a focus on AI solutions
- Simpsons, meet football
- Chicken sandwich and a show
- Snapchat debuts ad solutions
- Reddit sees major growth due to AI-powered language services
- YouTube takes aim at AI-generated media
- X debuts new analytics tools
- Threads develops Loops
- Spotify introduces SAX
- X revamps ad platform
- Instagram launches (QR) profile cards
- Netflix introduces Moments
- EDM has a space on TikTok
- Meta develops Movie Gen
- Marketing and advertising
- So Many Dicks
- Bobbie normalizes mothers' bodies in OOH campaign
- Delimex delivers humor around ASMR
- Sour Patch Kids' comedy appeals to the younger set
- Mucinex arrives for cuffing season on Tinder
- Liquid Death does it again
- Rare authenticity with Selena Gomez
- Escape the Afterlife via Roblox
- Instagram pushes Carousels
- Roku and Instacart collaborates on shoppable ads
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Appendix
- Consumer research methodology
- Consumer research questions
- Abbreviations and terms
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