IAS Holiday Shopping Data Shows Contextually Relevant Ads Will Be Key for Advertisers This Holiday Season

NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Integral Ad Science (IAS), the global leader in digital ad verification, today released results from its 2020 consumer study on holiday shopping habits. Key findings from the study show that this year consumers are relying on online shopping and digital ads to find the perfect gifts for their friends and families this holiday season.

Given the effects of the global pandemic and accompanying social distancing measures, consumer habits are shifting to account for these new realities. Almost eight in ten US consumers report that they have concerns about shopping in physical stores during the upcoming holidays due to COVID-19. Notably, 85% of US consumers now expect to do most or all of their holiday shopping online, with 48% intending to do so via their mobile device.

With many holiday shoppers avoiding physical stores to some degree, advertisers can look to meet consumer needs by focusing their marketing efforts on placing contextually relevant digital ads in safe and suitable environments. 89% of consumers reported that they find online advertising important in discovering new products and promotions, while 31% said they believe that they are more receptive to ads during the holiday season. 

"The holiday season is a critical period for many retailers and brands. Right now consumers are leaning heavily into online shopping which makes digital advertising even more important than usual," Tony Marlow, CMO, IAS said. "For advertisers who are planning their holiday campaigns, the key to connecting with audiences is to control their contextual adjacencies in ways that maximize outcomes, not all contexts are equal when it comes to driving marketing success."

IAS surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. Internet users in late August 2020 to determine expected consumer online shopping behavior and the impact of online advertising and contextually relevant ads on helping consumers make purchasing decisions during the holiday season. Statistically significant differences were calculated at a 95% confidence interval.

For more information on the study, please reach out to press@integralads.com.

About IAS
Integral Ad Science (IAS) is the global leader in digital ad verification, offering technologies that drive high-quality advertising media. IAS equips advertisers and publishers with both the insight and technology to protect their advertising investments from fraud and unsafe environments as well as to capture consumer attention, and drive business outcomes. Founded in 2009, IAS is headquartered in New York with global operations in 18 offices across 13 countries. IAS is part of the Vista Equity Partners portfolio of software companies. For more on how IAS is powering great impressions for top publishers and advertisers around the world, visit integralads.com.

SOURCE Integral Ad Science, Inc.