"People Don't Like Ads" Yes and No

Surveys for decades have shown that "consumers don't like ads." But there's a big caveat. People always say they don't like ads when those ads are interruptions of some desired experience.

But sometimes ads are part of the desired experience. If you are an outdoors enthusiast, ads about gear you can use outdoors are very interesting. If you are a runner, ads about shoes, clothing, nutrition and events are very interesting.

If you are a surfer, ads about surfboards are very interesting.

So it comes as absolutely no surprise that 38 percent of respondents to a Parks Associates survey say they do not want to receive ads for any reaon. About 37 percent of respondents say they are neutral about ads and 25 percent are open to getting them.

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The study also confirms the notion that people will not mind getting ads when those messages are personally relevant, timely and valuable. To be sure, 18 percent of respondents say they don't mind seeing personally relevant ads, with 39 percent reporting they are indifferent and 43 percent not interested.

The problem with surveys, though, is that they sometimes cannot capture the complexity of consumer attitudes. Just about any survey will show that people dislike ads. But if asked whether they would rather pay money to gain access to desired content, for example, or get that same access for free, in exchange for the presence of ads, most people say they'll accept the ads.

Targeting and value make the difference. If the ads are relevant, they are unobjectionable, for the most part. If the user gets something in exchange for receipt of the ads, and the ads also are relevant, surveys show people are accepting, if not entirely happy all the time.