U.S. Internet consumers favor targeted ads: Study

When asked whether they would rather see Internet ads for random or generic products and services, or ads for products and services that reflect their interests, the majority of Zogby survey respondents (40.5 percent) said they would rather see advertising directed toward their interests, while 16.1 percent said they would rather see ads for random products and services, and 27.6 percent said they would like both. The findings underscore the popularly held belief that many people still want serendipity in their content offerings, and not just news and information tailored to their preferences.

World Newsmedia Network has published Global Digital Media Trendbook each year since 2006. The 2014 trendbook contains 500 data sets and 230 pages of analysis about digital media usage and revenue patterns, including this data set. To download the GDMT free executive summary, go to www.wnmn.org