Where on the spectrum of awareness to

purchase are digital ads having an impact?

What can you do to push forward? Apply

findings from our recent consumer study

to improve your results.

2

Reactions to advertising may not be that blatant. But it

doesn’t mean they are insignificant.

Understanding what is actually going on in your constantly-

connected, multi-tasking consumers’ path to purchase is

critical. But the complexities of their lives and self-control

for media and advertising have clouded marketers’ path to

persuasion.

Who is the Dynamic Shopper? How can you engage those

who are primed for attention? What hidden motivators will

get them to take action?

This report will help you get answers, strengthen

your connections, and inform your media strategy.

We surveyed U.S. consumers to get at the root of how

digital advertising, in particular, facilitates their purchase

decisions. Digging deeper, we analyzed various consumer

segments* to understand both subtle and significant

differences.

Take heart, marketers. Inaction on the surface may

seem like a loss, but there is mental progress being

made, which you can nudge or ignite with measures

revealed here. Accelerate your wins.

To the contrary, as the recent Valassis Awareness-to-Activation Study revealed.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

T H I N K I N G . . .page 3 W A N T I N G . . .page 4 W A T C H I N G . . .page 5 A C T I N G . . .page 6 S H O P P I N G ...pages 7- 8

What’s happening with consumers and what’s wise for marketers

HURRY UP ALREADY. IN OUR FAST-PACED, INSTANT GRATIFICATION SOCIETY, WE’RE QUICK TO EXPECT A SPIKE IN SALES WHEN WE ADVERTISE.

AWARENESS-TO-ACTIVATION STUDY

Published May 2017 |

*Valassis generation age segmentation » Millennial: born 1982-1998 | Generation X: born 1965-1981 | Baby Boomer: born 1946-1964

Awareness may be a bit of an understatement. The

majority of dynamic shoppers surveyed take notice of

digital ads that are relevant to them. That is especially

true for millennials, gen X, and parents.

While they don’t leap right into buying, the advertised

brand or item has permeated the conscience. Priming

has begun!

Keep relevant ads coming, but employ tactics that will

move your consumers into wanting to buy what you’re

promoting.

BEYOND SEEING, DIGITAL ADS REGISTER

T H I N K I N G . . .

Consumers notice a relevant digital ad but don’t buy yet

55% Nearly

THINKING

3

Cited by certain groups even more:

Parents66% 62%

Millennials60%

Gen X

“Click on ad for more information only”

24% 31%

“Notice the ad, but don’t click”

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Published May 2017 |

W A N T I N G . . .

POWER OF INCENTIVES IN DIGITAL ADS

39% A COUPON A DISCOUNT32%

WANTING

Almost

20%May be influenced by the digital ad, but don’t click

4

Give a nudge; aka an incentive. Move them a few

degrees down the awareness to activation spectrum

or zoom – all the way to purchase.

Consumers tell us they are influenced by digital ads

with an offer. The top two triggers that make them

want to respond are coupons and discounts.

Catch the eyes of deal seekers and stir a yearning.

They desire savings on relevant products or services.

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Published May 2017 |

In digital ads, what makes them want to respond?

Where they’re likely to notice or act on digital ads:

W A T C H I N G . . .

GOOD PLACES TO CATCH CONSUMERS

WATCHING

Parents18%

18%Millennials

17%Gen X

5

How and where do you engage a moving target? Dynamic

shoppers have places to go, people to see, social media to

scour, and over-scheduled calendars to check. Their eyes

are frequently scanning for messages and intel.

Notably, the survey found that “home” is the absolute top

spot for paying attention to digital ads.

When it comes to the workplace, parents and millennials

notice or act on ads on all devices, but lean heavily on

desktops and laptops. This reflects their work/life balance

and comfort with technology.

Plan your digital media buys with your eyes wide open.

Recognizing the need for cross-device delivery and

anticipating that your audience will be watching from a

comfy recliner, a desk chair, a car, or almost anywhere.

« return to table of contents »

11%All Adults

Published May 2017 |

Parents26%

Millennials27%

vs 11% of All Adults

AT WORK

ON-THE-GOMobile phone*

Desktop/laptop

*Browser/app average

51%

52%

59%

47%

39%

19%

46%

33%

17%

AT HOME

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

A C T I N G . . .

PRINT + DIGITAL ADS BOOST RESPONSE

Are more likely to respond when they see a product ad in print and online

24% Overall

ACTING

Even more so among:

Parents50% 47%

Millennials

6

Get ready to uncover a hidden motivator. The likelihood

of response goes up when consumers receive ads for a

product both online and in print.

Consider the difference it would make if one-quarter

of the consumers who received your digital ad, saw it

reinforced in print. Boom! They are more likely

to respond.

Double your expectation for activating parents and

millennials.

This is testament to the power of an integrated print

and digital campaign.

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Published May 2017 |

P R I N T + D I G I TA L

S H O P P I N G . . .

RETAILER ADS: REASONS & RITUALS

SHOPPING

7

Peeling back another layer of the dynamic shopper, we

probed why, when and how they use retail advertising.

Why do they look through store ads? It must do

something for them, and in fact, it does. For consumers,

ads assist the planning part of the path to purchase,

prompting store selection or to give a product a try.

Does it matter which day of the week you advertise?

It may help to know if consumers have a preference.

Most will shop at department stores and home

improvement stores any day of the week, but

designate Saturday as the favorite day.

Learn “how” they see digital store ads on the next page.

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ACTIONS as a result of seeing ads for a retailer:

33%Choose store to shop at

Try new or featured products

28%

44%Say they shop any day of the week at home improvement and department stores

SATURDAY

Home Improvement stores

Millennials21%

Department stores

SATURDAY

23%

Gen X Multicultural Consumers

21%

BEST SHOPPING DAYS

vs 15% All Adults vs 16% All Adults

Published May 2017 |

Try new store22%

S H O P P I N G . . .

SHOPPING

Which digital device shoppers go to all depends.

Not only does the type of store or restaurant matter,

but the customer as well.

Knowing little nuances can indeed make a difference

to driving traffic and sales.

For example, if it’s a busy night to juggle work, soccer

practice, piano lessons and homework, parents may just

grab their smartphones and click on a fast food ad. When

shopping for furniture, those same people, however, will

pull out their laptops. The bigger screens may aid their

research, such as comparing photos, specifications

and prices.

Will your ads appear on the proper device, given your

target audiences’ behavior?

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BEST DIGITAL DEVICES

Customers are most likely to notice and respond to ads on:

8Published May 2017 |

#1 Answer re: General Retailers ads (Department/Discount stores)

Where Millennials notice/respond to ads:

General Retailers

Furniture

Entertainment

Pizza

Fast Food

30%

30%

29%

25%

22%

36%

20%

36%

37%

37%

All Adults MillennialsBoomers36% 41% 36%

To learn more about consumer shopping and buying

behavior, read more of our published insights:

“Capturing the Dynamic Retail Shopper” eBook

2017 Coupons & Convenience Infographic

2K17 Valassis Coupon Intelligence Report

2K17 Coupon Influence Infographic

Restaurant Dashboard, 2016 Customer Study

Close the awareness to activation gap with greater understanding of

what motivates the dynamic shopper throughout the path to purchase.

By knowing where and how digital ads impact shopping and buying

decisions, marketers can continue to hone their advertising plans to

prime and ignite consumer action.

9

SUMMARY

« return to table of contents »

T H I N K I N G . . .

W A N T I N G . . .

W A T C H I N G . . .

A C T I N G . . .

S H O P P I N G . . .

Published May 2017 |

ABOUT THE

STUDY

The Valassis Awareness-to-Activation Study is an ongoing study fielded throughout

2016 and 2017 in conjunction with The NPD Group, Inc., a global market research

company. The sample was derived via an online survey, and all participants were at

least 18 years of age and living in the contiguous United States. Approximately 10,000

respondents are surveyed annually.

ABOUT USValassis is a leader in intelligent media delivery, providing over 58,000 clients with innovative media solutions to influence consumers wherever they plan, shop, buy and share.

By integrating online and offline data combined with powerful insights, Valassis precisely targets its clients’ most valuable shoppers, offering unparalleled reach and scale. NCH Marketing Services, Inc. and Clipper Magazine are Valassis subsidiaries, and RedPlum® is its consumer brand. Its signature Have You Seen Me?® program delivers hope to missing children and their families. Valassis is a wholly owned subsidiary of Harland Clarke Holdings.

10Source: Valassis Awareness-to-Activation Study, published May 2017. Insights captured from research fielded May 2016 - January 2017.

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