More than half (60%) of UK consumers are willing to watch
ads online in return for free videos, music and other content,
a survey has revealed.
"This willingness to view adverts in exchange for free content
is good news for advertisers and is perhaps a pointer in the
ongoing debate over whether advertising or subscription is the
right revenue model," said Tudor Aw, a partner at KPMG.
Only 16% said they prefer to pay for online content, the survey
by consultancy firm
KPMG found.
Some 21% said they would pay to avoid ads on mobile phones, but
40% said they would watch ads in exchange for free music and 28%
would do so for free instant messaging.
The research indicates that UK consumers are more likely to
access content that is ad-supported, than subscriptions, he
said.
The research also provides guidelines on what kind of content UK
consumers are willing to pay for, with music and navigation tools
topping the list.
The UK leads Europe in purchasing music using mobile devices
with 34% of respondents saying they had done so in the past
year.
Although willing to pay for music and navigation tools, Tudor
said it is important to note consumers do not want to be bothered
with ads while using navigation services.
This ties in with the finding that UK consumers are more willing
to watch online ads while shopping (47%) or social networking (35%)
than when using other services.