How To Combat & Avoid Ad Fatigue

If you've ever binge-watched a new show or browsed a creator's YouTube content, you've seen exactly the same ads over and over. When you're finished watching, you have the commercial almost memorized and you wish you could see something (anything!) but that ad. Seeing it as an incessant irritation, you make a mental note to avoid the brand in the future. Getting the picture?

One simple term that's gaining traction in the marketing world can be used to describe this all-too-common experience: ad fatigue.

An audience that sees an advertisement too many times becomes bored or frustrated and tunes it out every time they see it moving forward. Audiences simply stop paying attention to the brand's ads and affect their purchasing decisions by creating negative associations with the brand.

What's Causing Ad Fatigue Today?

The vast majority of content is consumed marathon-style, meaning there are more ads to be encountered in a single sitting. Additionally, advertisers distribute content through automated mechanisms. There are a number of ways in which advertisers can utilize programmatic channels. Each of these scenarios leads to ad fatigue among consumers.

There may be a problem if not enough advertisers want their content associated with a specific show or network. The problem may also be due to cheap placements made at the last minute by advertisers. Advertisers may also have been promised a set number of impressions, and you just so happen to be part of the small audience that meets the targeting criteria.

Altering Your Production Process & Display Strategies

The most prevalent counter-argument to ad fatigue is the oft-cited marketing statistic that a message must be heard seven times before it truly sinks in. Despite its widespread use, the origin of this statistic is unknown. The "seven times rule" is still being used by many marketers to advocate for repeated messaging, however the proof is lacking.

Regardless, the notion that eliminating all repetition might harm marketing results has some merit. So, how can you develop material that is both memorable and pleasant at the same time?

Choose a few creative choices based on the same campaign while preparing your next production. The cost increase will be minor in comparison to the entire cost of the shoot, and the value of the produced content will be immeasurable.

As you focus on combating ad fatigue with your creative process, don't forget to think about your display strategies for each new content and how it might affect your audience. Relying on programmatic media buying can be an easy solution to distribute your newly created content but a more hands-on approach could be key to captivate your audience.