Who Likes Consumer Generated Ads? Not Young Adults

Heather Green

Little food for thought. According to a new American Marketing Association survey, while most adults have a warm and fuzzy feeling about companies that ask folks to create ads, those darn youngsters just aren't buying it. (Here's a copy Download file of the release they sent since I can't for the life of me find it on their site.)

"AMA’s survey revealed that compared to a company that uses only professional advertising, most adults feel that a company that uses customer-created advertising is more customer-friendly (68%), creative (56%), and innovative (55%).

Survey respondants between the ages of 18 and 24 are more likely than those between the ages of 25 and 64 to say a company that uses customer-created advertising is less trustworthy (21% versus 10%, respectively), less socially-responsible (20% versus 10%, respectively) and less customer-friendly (13% versus 5%, respectively)."

This is fascinating because according to surveys and books, this young generation more than others before it prefers companies that stand for a cause, are socially and environmentally responsible, and have a community bent.

The AMA's Chief Marketing Officer Nancy Costopulos said in the press release "Young adults’ skepticism may be rooted in their desire to distance themselves from company-sponsored messages." So does that mean that today's youth wants companies to stand for something but is skeptical of company's trying to coopt them to be what they stand for?