37% of Consumers Judge Online Ads Paired with Questionable Content

Creating online ads is a powerful way to get your brand’s message in front of prospective customers, but what many brands fail to consider is where these ads get displayed. In certain cases, it can be detrimental to your reputation.Earlier this year, Google faced significant blowback from various companies (including AT&T and Verizon) after their ads were served on Google Display Network and YouTube alongside extremist content.“Until Google can ensure this won’t happen again, we are removing our ads from Google’s non-search platforms,” said an AT&T spokesperson according to CNN.Google has taken significant measures to ensure such missteps don’t occur in the future, but this raises the question – how do consumers view brands based on the positioning of online ads with content they perceive as offensive? According to a recent survey from The CMO Council, it could be more than you think.The survey found that approximately 37% of consumers claim that ads positioned next to objectionable online content impact the way they view the brand when making a purchase decision. Meanwhile, 11% of respondents said they would no longer do business with a brand and 9% would be vocal and raise an issue.