M(ad) to see me?

Most digital ads are annoying, but some are more annoying than others—it’s our job as digital marketers to make them less annoying.

Why should I care about ad annoyance?

Let’s start with the basics, ads that are perceived as annoying perform worse and there’s plenty of empirical research that supports this. If a digital ad is perceived as annoying, purchase intention is decreased by 26% compared to digital ads that were perceived as either informative or entertaining (Sharma et al, 2022).

How do we know if an ad is perceived as annoying? Let’s again look at research to understand that.

Breaking down ad annoyance

1/ Hubspot research demonstrated that intrusiveness plays a big role in ad annoyance. In total, 84% of respondents (N=1055) agree with the statement “Obnoxious or intrusive ads give me a poor opinion of the brands that advertise them”. 

2/ The three most disliked digital ad types are: Online pop-ups (73%), mobile phone ads (70%) and YouTube Pre Roll Ads (57%). Notice the strong correlation between how intrusive these ad types are.

3/ Another research study found that ads are likely to be considered much more annoying when the ad wasn’t personalized. The likelihood that respondents would find non-personalized ads annoying was 3X higher versus ads that did have a personalized component.

4/ Loss of control: studies have found that ads that limit user control over their browsing experience are more likely to be perceived as annoying. This includes ads that cannot be easily closed or skipped

How to counter?

1. Reduce Intrusiveness

While platform formats limit our control, we can still minimize intrusive experiences by choosing less disruptive ad placements when possible (native over display, in-feed over overlay), opting for skippable video formats and avoiding forcing viewers through long pre-roll sequences, using frequency capping to prevent ad fatigue by limiting impressions per user per day or week, timing ad delivery strategically to avoid peak user engagement periods where interruption feels most jarring, and selecting contextually appropriate environments where ads feel more natural.

2. Maximize Relevancy & Personalization

This is your biggest opportunity for impact. Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) automatically serves personalized ad variations based on user data, location, weather, time of day, or browsing behavior. Contextual targeting matches ad content to webpage content (travel ads on travel sites, not random placements). Behavioral personalization uses first-party data to create audience segments with tailored messaging. Geographic personalization includes local references, store locations, or region-specific offers. Temporal relevance adjusts messaging based on time, season, or current events. Cross-device personalization creates cohesive experiences that acknowledge previous interactions.

3. Create Value-First Experiences

Transform ads from interruptions into contributions by leading with educational content or useful tips related to your product, offering genuine utility (calculators, tools, exclusive content) before the sales pitch, using interactive elements that engage rather than annoy (polls, quizzes, product configurators), and providing social proof and authentic testimonials rather than hard sells.