A major portion of american consumers feels ignored by marketers
It’s clear that no matter how sophisticated the targeting, there’s a sizable chunk of American consumers who feel ignored. In fact, 44% of them report that advertisers just aren’t speaking to them in a meaningful way. This isn’t because they’re missing the mark with niche groups, either; it’s affecting a broad range of consumers. The group most likely to feel left out tends to be suburban, predominantly White, and earning over $100,000 a year—segments marketers usually focus less on. These people feel disconnected from the brands they encounter, seeing little to reflect their values or priorities in the media they consume.
The research done by iHeartMedia and Pushkin Industries, backed by surveys from Morning Consult, Critical Mass Media, and Advertiser Perceptions, paints a clear picture of this demographic: White, suburban, and relatively high-income individuals are the ones most likely to feel overlooked. This data challenges some assumptions that marketers have long held about where their key audiences lie, and should be a wake-up call. If these ignored consumers feel that brands don’t understand them, there’s a huge opportunity for anyone who can close that gap.
Demographics of consumers who feel ignored show patterns
Looking deeper into the makeup of the “ignored consumer” group, it’s striking how much of it is made up of White Americans. Sixty-three percent of these consumers identify as White. The next largest groups are Hispanic at 17%, Black at 15%, and Asian at 6%. These figures make it clear that it’s not just one demographic feeling alienated, it’s across the board.
Geographically, the “ignored consumers” are spread out, but 40% of them live in suburban areas. The rest are distributed across urban (32%) and rural (27%) areas. These numbers aren’t too far from the breakdown of consumers who don’t feel ignored, but it’s evident that the suburban, primarily White, higher-income group is the one more likely to feel disconnected.
Marketers should take note of this. If 40% of those who feel neglected are from suburban areas, that’s a market that can’t be overlooked, especially considering the purchasing power that comes with these consumers’ higher income.
Ignored consumers are highly receptive to brands that align with their values
What makes these ignored consumers even more interesting is their readiness to respond to brands that resonate with their values. A large majority—75%—of these consumers would rather shop with brands that share their values. There’s a willingness to pay a premium for the privilege. These people are looking for brands that align with their personal beliefs, and they’re willing to put their money where their values lie.
For marketers, this is a huge opportunity. If you can reach this group with messages and campaigns that reflect what they care about, you’re engaging them and potentially driving loyalty and boosting margins. Don’t focus on merely meeting their needs, work to connect on a deeper level. Seventy-five percent of these consumers also said they don’t want to purchase from brands that ignore them. That’s a clear sign that showing up for them in the right way can unlock meaningful engagement and long-term customer loyalty.
Personalization and targeted ads are often ineffective and unpopular
There’s no shortage of hype about the power of personalization, but here’s the reality: Many consumers find it invasive. Sixty-eight percent of consumers report that they hate being followed around by targeted ads. On top of that, there’s a general distaste for AI-driven personalization, which many view as a little too intrusive for comfort. Despite this consumer pushback, marketers are set to spend $9.5 billion on personalization and hyper-targeting in 2024. This gap between what consumers want and what marketers think will work is growing, and it’s something that brands need to take into account when planning their advertising strategies.
Targeting and personalization are not going away, but they’re clearly not the golden ticket many once believed them to be. Marketers need to take a hard look at the disconnect here: Consumers don’t like being surveilled and don’t appreciate ads that feel like an invasion of privacy. The trick for marketers will be finding ways to tailor their messaging without crossing that line while still achieving the desired results. This disconnect is an important issue, and one that companies need to address to maintain relevance.
Marketers and consumers have differing values
There’s an even deeper cause for the disconnect between marketers and consumers: their differing values. Consumers place a much higher priority on values like religion, law and order, and freedom of speech than marketers do. This misalignment is significant. For example, consumers are twice as likely as marketers to list religion as one of their top priorities. Law and order also stands out as consumers care about it 1.75 times more than marketers do.
This disconnect doesn’t only happen in abstract conversations, it also shows up in the media and creative choices brands make. Consumers, especially those in the “ignored” category, don’t see their values reflected in advertising. They feel disconnected because they aren’t seeing the issues they care about represented in the marketing they encounter. For marketers, this means there’s a big opportunity to better align campaigns with the values of their audiences—particularly those who feel excluded. Understanding and reflecting those values in campaigns could go a long way toward bridging this gap.
Marketers who can effectively adjust their strategies to align more closely with consumer values (especially with those feeling ignored) will likely see stronger engagement and customer loyalty. These overlooked consumers are actively looking for brands that resonate with their beliefs, and those who succeed in this area will build long-term relationships.
Final thoughts
If your brand isn’t also speaking to the 44% of consumers who feel ignored, you’re leaving a huge opportunity on the table. Are you ready to rethink your approach and align with the values that actually matter to your audience? Genuinely try to connect with consumers and see what happens. If you’re not engaging on that level, you’re not truly reaching them. What will you do to change that?
