GumGum’s Latest Report Highlights Online Consumers Reject Behavioral Ads

GumGum has launched new research revealing UK consumers’ interest in leaving behavioral ad targeting behind. GumGum’s latest survey has revealed over three-quarters of UK consumers indicated they are more comfortable seeing online ads that align with a digital environment over ads based on browsing history. The study by GumGum and conducted by the Harris Poll found that UK consumers are more than ready for advertisers to ditch tracking their behavior and place more of an emphasis on placing ads that align with the digital environment and content they are looking at.

Top findings from the survey on behavioral ad trends include:

• A majority of UK consumers (65%) would be more tempted to buy a product from an online ad that is relevant to the web page they are looking at “in that moment” compared to only 35% who say they’d be tempted to purchase from an online ad based on the content they have viewed in the last 30 days.
• Four in five UK consumers (80%) would be more open to seeing online ads on a website if the ads don’t require the use of their personal data.
• A majority of UK adults (66%) say they are uncomfortable with brands tracking their browsing history in order to show them personalized ads online.

“This shift away from audience tracking isn’t just because of Google or regulations like GDPR, it’s actually what people want. We found that over a third of UK adults (38%) feel creeped out when brands use technology to track their internet browsing habits in order to deliver relevant advertising, while 31% say they feel violated. That is not how we want people to feel about our industry,” said GumGum’s, CEO, Phil Schraeder.

Schraeder goes on to say, “As human beings we naturally move in micro-moments, floating from one topic to another. Digital advertising should move with us. Our framework, The Mindset Matrix is what we believe will give advertisers what they need to deliver relevant, engaging, and effective ads to people without the use of personal data. Not to mention improve how people feel and see the world of digital advertising.”

GumGum, today, also signals the next phase in its mission to shape the future of the digital advertising industry with the launch of its newly combined operation with JustPremium, heralding the official launch of the GumGum brand in 6 new European markets.

As one of the leading contextual providers, GumGum had a groundbreaking year in 2021 adding more than 400 new clients and posted a year-on-year pro-forma revenue growth rate in excess of 40%. In April, it received a $75 million investment from Goldman Sachs Growth to power the growth of its VerityTM proprietary contextual intelligence engine and other products, to add to backing from Morgan Stanley, New View and Upfront Ventures.

With the addition of the technology and teams of JustPremium, GumGum now brings to the European market a game-changing mix of next-generation contextual intelligence and industry-leading creative capabilities. Through GumGum advertisers will now be able to deliver bespoke advertising campaigns that capture consumer attention across digital environments at scale, without the use of personal data or cookies.

GumGum is a contextual-first global advertising technology company that captures people’s attention, without the use of personal data. They believe that a digital advertising ecosystem based on understanding a consumer’s active frame of mind rather than behavior builds a more equitable and safer future for consumers, publishers and advertisers alike. Founded in 2008, GumGum is headquartered in Santa Monica, California and operates in 19 markets worldwide.

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