Truth in advertising is the biggest concern for Canadians, according to a report released by Advertising Standards Canada (ASC). And Canadians are prepared to change their buying habits based on that concern.
ASC reports 85% of respondents to a poll say they are more concerned with ads they find misleading than those that are personally offensive. In an important takeaway for marketers, the report found that 92% of respondents would stop buying from a brand if they had concerns over accuracy or offensiveness and that 61% had already dropped brands over advertising concerns.
“Advertising that fails to meet consumer expectations can have a direct impact on an advertiser’s bottom line,” said Linda Nagel, the ASC’s CEO, in a news release. “If an ad is not acceptable to them, they have – and will – shop elsewhere.”
David Herle, principal partner at the Gandalf Group, which conducted the research, said consumer concerns have “defaulted” to accuracy because the industry has made a lot of progress in limiting offensive content. Canadians have also become more tolerant and inclusive of diversity, he said, and are less likely to take offense at ads that contain situations once deemed off-limits such as same-sex marriage, for example.
One of the few issues that is registering higher on the offensive scale is the issue of bullying. “That’s where the tolerance level seems to break – where people are demeaning,” Herle told a Toronto audience Tuesday, when the report was presented.
The 2013 Consumer Perspectives on Advertising report drew on an online poll that included more than 1,500 Canadians.
Other highlights:
• In the case of offensive content, 41% of respondents cited issues related to misleading or false advertising, almost 3.5 times the size of the next major concern, which was sexual content, at 12%
• 11% cited issues with stereotypical depictions
• 79% said they understand and accept the role that advertising plays in supporting the content they enjoy, while most find advertising to be “at least somewhat helpful in their decision making as a consumer”
• Women and Canadians aged 45-54 are more likely than others to say they personally receive at least some value from ads.
