The South Korean millennials grew up alongside the internet in their adolescence. They’ve witnessed remarkable change in its existence over the years, and certainly hold opinions on all things digital. This article will discuss how South Koreans in their 30s perceive digital advertising efforts online. Across display, video, short-form, and influencer advertisements.
Seamless experience: Minimising disruption to increase awareness
Amongst different styles of display ads, both genders found that native ads which appear and integrate naturally like real content, (such as promoted listings during search, and recommended content within articles) were the most effective in gaining their attention, followed by main displays on sites, and full page displays on apps.
Similarly in relation to video, those featured as main site advertisements on portals attracted the most attention, followed by in-stream (pre-roll and mid-roll) advertisements, and social media video advertisements. Native video ads that appear naturally were also found to be more effective for men than women.
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Considering short-form style videos, product placement is the most attention grabbing form of advertisement, which naturally integrates itself into content, rather than overtly seeming like an ad. Informational content outlining product features, as well as influencer advertisements with reviews and recommendations were next. Importantly, considering the ‘short-form’ vertical style video advertisement versus the traditional horizontal ad, 47% found that they attracted more attention. Comparatively, 63% of those in their 20s favored the vertical style.
Attitudes and opinions: Video ads
Looking into the attitudes of men and women in their 30s surrounding these video advertisements revealed some key insights:
- Most preferred to watch video ads below 10 seconds
- 73% of respondents found pre-roll ads to be more memorable than mid-roll
- 72% of individuals find ads that cannot be skipped make them very uncomfortable
- 69% felt that ads which make them uncomfortable lead to a negative perception of the product
- 41% disagree that pre-roll ads were less objectionable than other forms of advertising
- 51% agreed that advertisements related to content they like are received better
Influencers
When it comes to inspiring purchase, influencers are still the most powerful choice. Closely followed by product placement – which men find particularly trustworthy. Similarly, women are more swayed by keywords, and social media advertisements.
While people watch influencer content, 54% of individual millennials check if content is sponsored. 58% do not minding advertisements as long as they are disclosed. Both numbers are lower than those in their 20s, who sit at 58% and 64% respectively. Interestingly, those in their 30s are much more likely to refuse watching influencer content after seeing commercial advertisements (55%) compared to those in their 20s (38%). Emphasizing that content which is informative, entertaining, or provides perceived benefit is an effective way to generate a positive response to this age group.
Ultimately, whilst having some similarities to their younger peers, Millennials in South Korea have unique attitudes and opinions when it comes to digital advertising, a nuance which is essential when targeting the age group.
For more information about media trends and digital advertising opinions of those in their 20s, contact us!