The document discusses key issues in advertising communication and consumer engagement from the perspectives of both industry leaders and consumers across five major markets. It highlights the growing need for brands to adapt to changing media habits and integrate data-driven approaches while noting consumer frustrations with repetitive and irrelevant advertising. The document also explores trends in ad blocking, the value of data and privacy concerns, and the need for a more cohesive approach between marketing and PR.

1. DIMENSION 2018
Momentum towards Integration

2. DIMENSION: two sides of the same coin
2
DIMENSION explores the key communication
planning, buying and measurement issues faced
by the industry from the twin perspectives of the
industry’s leaders, and the consumers they are
trying to reach.
CONSUMER
Likes & dislikes on
the adverting they are
exposed to
INDUSTRY
LEADERS
Views on key challenges
and how the industry needs
to improve
=

3. Our approach
3
x5
countries
BR - CN - FR - UK - US
5,000+
“Connected adults”
consumers
Supplemented
with Kantar expert opinion and data
41
Industry leaders
across Marketing,
Media & Communications

4. 4
Wide industry engagement

5. The top line …
5
In trying to keep ahead, brands are learning to
communicate in multiple ways with
consumers who are themselves developing
and evolving new media habits.
The momentum is towards integration.
The challenge is to sift the mass of data to
identify the truly valuable and insightful, and
to underpin all communication planning with
solid, consistent measurement.

6. DIMENSION 2018 – who’s views?
*GroupM 2017 6
CONSUMERS
5,000 connected consumers
18+ years old
5 major ad markets – total combined
ad spend of $337bn*
LEADERS ROUNDTABLES
8 roundtables
41 leaders – regional & global roles
Representing all parts
of the industry

7. Four topic areas
7
Mining
Measurable
Data
No Junk Mail,
Please
Combination
Theory
GLOBAL REPORT
A Whole New
(Old) World?

8. Mining Meaningful Data
How consumer trends in relation to media use and attitudes
towards advertising are evolving and how leaders are integrating
the mass of data available into how they work.

9. Mixed media economy
I find that the market — in its aim
of wanting to keep up with youth culture
and modernism — is going too fast for
most users.
Eric Trousset, Directeur Développement de
la BU Media and Président, IREP, France
Base: 5,000 connected consumers. Source: Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Question: Media forms ever accessed. See DIMENSION 2018, table 1.2 for full analysis.
We are living in a
mixed media economy
Established media forms remain resilient
96%
access TV
via a TV set
88%
listen to the
radio offline
79% / 82%
read a newspaper/magazine in print
15
”
“

10. Could do better
Slight decline in consumers
feeling “advertisers doing
better at communicating with
me now than in the past”
73% (2017)
71% (2018)
Whatever technological changes
have been implemented, the
same issues remain from the
consumer perspective
Say they see
the same ads
over and over
Much needs to be done to raise
both creative standards and
relevance online with
consumers
Only - see an
increasing
number of
relevant ads
Base: 5,000 connected consumers.
Source: Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Questions: Do you think advertisers today are doing a better job at communicating with you than in the past? Please select how strongly
you agree or disagree with the following statements about the advertising you see. See DIMENSION 2018 Table 1. 5 for further analysis
16

11. Online – not just offline on a screen
More people claim they enjoy
ads on TV as viewed on a
TV set than they do within
online forms of the medium
vs
The same holds true
for printed magazines
versus ads in online print
33% 25% 32% 26%
vs
Base: 5,000 connected consumers. Source: Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Question: What are your feelings about advertising in general? and How do you feel about the types of advertising you see in these different media?
See DIMENSION 2018 Table 1.3 for further analysis
17
More than 85% of spots broadcast
on our digital platforms are the
same as those on television.
That's an issue. I think it's
insufficiently adapted.”
Laurent Bliaut, Directeur Général
Adjoint, TF1 Publicité, France
”
“

12. The value of data
Consumers understand
the trade-off between
data and personal
benefit. Advertisers
need to enter the trade
Base: 5,000 connected consumers. Source: Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Question: Please select how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements.
See DIMENSION 2018 Table 1.10 for full analysis.
A third of connected consumers reported they’d be prepared
to provide data about themselves for a perceived benefit
are more interest in ensuring a
greater relevance in the
advertising in return for sharing
their own data
are more interest in receiving
a discount off goods or
services in return for sharing
their own data
30% 39%
18

13. The value of data
But privacy a real
concern for many …
“I think people will give up a little privacy... for a better
experience; if you will gain something in your life; if it
will tell you the time your plane is scheduled... “leave
home now because there is traffic”, “leave earlier”, “I
know where you parked your car”. You give up a little
privacy, you even accept some advertising.”
Vinicius B. Reis, Partner/CEO, CP&B, Brazil
”
“
19
disagree with giving up
personal information in
return for ad relevance
Base: 5,000 connected consumers. Source: Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Question: Please select how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements.
See DIMENSION 2018 Table 1.10 for full analysis.
38%

14. Introducing the Ad Positive Score
To quantify many of the
changes we’re tracking we’ve
created the Ad Positive Score
The score takes into account both:
 general attitudes towards
advertising
 having ‘done something as a result
of seeing an ad’
20
Base: 5,000 connected consumers. Source: Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Question: Ad Positive Scores by age
See DIMENSION 2018 Table 1.1 for full analysis.
ANALYSIS OF AD POSITIVE SCORES BY AGE VS OVERALL – 2018
AdPositiveScores
60
70
50
OVERALL 58
18-34 35-44 45-64 65+
Age range of connected consumers
61 62
55
48

15. No Junk Mail, Please
The impact of ad avoidance and what
can be done to minimise its effect

16. Ad blocking – the extent of the issue
It hasn’t gone away –
over 1 in 5 connected
adults claim to use an ad
blocker all of the time
a
Base: 5,000 connected consumers. Source: Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Question: Do you use adblocking software at all on any device? See DIMENSION 2018 Table 2.2 for full analysis.
A further 33% claiming
they ‘sometimes’ block
This year we found that the proportion of 45 – 64
year olds blocking was at almost the same level
as the 18 – 34’s
Age 45 – 64
always use
ad blocking software
Age 18 – 34
always use
ad blocking software
22% 22%
22

17. So, why do blockers block?
Amongst the core reasons
for blocking are:
 poor creative
 a lack of relevance
 contextual
inappropriateness
 inaccurate chronology
a
Base: 5,000 connected consumers. Source: Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Question: Please select how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements about the advertising you see.
See DIMENSION 2018 Table 2.7 for full analysis.
Consumers expect relevance
“I prefer to see ads
that are relevant to
my interests”
“Recently, I have seen an
increasing amount of
advertising online that is
relevant to my interests”
23

18. a
Selective blocking – some regional differences
Base: 5,000 connected consumers. Source: Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Question: Do you use adblocking software at all on any device? See DIMENSION 2018 Table 2.1 for full analysis.
In China, the rising numbers of connected consumers
prepared to pay for a premium subscription to avoid
seeing ads on certain channels
Always use
ad blocking software
Sometimes use
ad blocking software
33%
45%
17%
21%
Selective blocking to avoid ads is a factor
If you're talking about screening out ads,
there’s not too much of that going on. But
if you’re talking about paying fees to
remove ads, then there is some of that …
people don't want to watch the ads before
the programmes, so instead take a
premium subscription.
Iris Chin, General Manager, Mediacom,
China
24
“
”

19. The next exit – Paying the ad-free premium offline and online
Base: 2,863 connected consumers who signing up for the service . Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Question: Which of the following describe your reasons for signing up for the (paid subscription to an online TV) service?
See DIMENSION 2018 Table 4.7 for full analysis.
a
Which of the following describe your reasons for signing up
for the (paid subscription to an online TV) service?
51%
say ‘TV shows and films
I can’t get elsewhere’
37%
say ‘Can view shows
without ads’
12%
say ‘Provides viewing suggestions
tailored to my interests’
I don’t know how this will evolve
over time, but the moment you say
“you may skip this, you don’t have
to watch advertising”, you’re
admitting that, on that platform,
advertising is a bad thing. I think in
those circumstances the platform
itself is playing against the
advertising world.
Roberto Schmidt, Director, TV
Globo, Brazil
”
“
25

20. An Exaggerated Issue?
The phenomenon of ad blocking
has been described as one of the
largest mass boycotts of any
product or service
a
Not everyone in the industry agrees that ad
blocking represents a serious threat. Some
believe that the threat is exaggerated
Ad avoidance has been blown up out of all
proportion. If it was happening at scale ads
wouldn’t work and marketers wouldn’t spend.
David Song, Owner, Rosie Labs, US
”
“Ad avoidance generally has always been
a niche phenomenon…[but] the people who
care, care a lot - and they're really loud.
Jonathan Steuer, Chief Research Officer,
Omnicom Media Group, US
”
“
a
26

21. Be brilliant, be useful!
Those who do block are driven to do so
by the industry’s failure to understand
fully who uses the medium, how they
use it, and what they expect from it
a a
The expectations of brands are increasing
and in the words of one of our leaders…
It’s by being brilliant, by being useful,
by being entertaining for people. That’s
how (to persuade) consumers (to) stop
avoiding advertising.
Paul Gayfer, Planning Partner,
Goodstuff, UK
”
“
27

22. Combination Theory: Unlocking the Power
Explores how brand owners are turning to non-advertising
channels to communicate with consumers, and the impact
that is having

23. The Influencing Power of Multi-Channel
To consumers –
it’s all advertising
a
Base: 5,000 connected consumers. Source: Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Question: Which of the following do you consider to be ‘advertising’? See DIMENSION 2018 Table 3.1 for full
analysis.
Using multiple media forms to carry
conventional advertising messages is
now commonplace and recognised as
effective by both brands and consumers
Managing output outside
of the brand’s direct
control becomes vital
Non-advertising techniques also give
brands an opportunity to reach those
elements of their target audiences that
choose to block online campaigns
29
64%

24. The Influencing Power of Multi-Channel
On average our consumers reported using almost three communication channels to gather
information on brands
a
Base: 5,000 connected consumers. Source: Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Question: Which of the following do you use to get information about brands and services?
See DIMENSION 2018 Table 3.3 for full analysis.
Which of the following do you use to get information about brands and services?
Total 5000 respondents
30
Blogs Review
sites
Friends
& family
Social
media
Celebrity
endorsement
Advertising The internet,
websites
Newspaper
articles
Magazine
articles
15%
45%
51%
35%
9%
33%
62%
19% 18%

25. From Theory to Practice
For many clients, the issue still
lies with linking the media and
PR side of the business
31
The Casa Bacardi experiential we run at various festivals
like Primavera and V Festival is good but the measurement
of experiential is one of the biggest challenges we’ve got.
We seem to have found that PR works, PR drives desire
which drives sales. Which then means that any experiential
investment needs to be even better supported by some
form of amplification whether it be paid or unpaid.
Kester Fielding, VP, Marketing Effectiveness, Bacardi-
Martini, UK
”
“

26. 30%
say brands should use
adverts e.g. on TV,
radio, social media sites
or other websites
26
Positive influence in times of crisis
Consumers believe
that non-advertising
forms can be powerful
in managing a
brand’s reputation in
times of crisis.
aQ: If brands are involved in negative publicity, which of the following do you think they should use to help positively influence
your perception of them?
21%
say brand should use
news and articles in
print / paper copies
15%
say brands should use
news and articles online
or in blogs
23%
say brands should
use Social media
Earned media can
positively influence
brands perception
Paid media
continues to add
weight
Question: If brands are involved in some negative publicity, which of the following do you think they should use to help positively influence your perception of them?
Sample size: 5000 connected consumers // Source: DIMENSION 2018, Kantar Media

27. Press coverage across UK & Ireland press publication for the period, 17th March to 9th April 2018
Includes UK Nationals, Irish Nationals, UK Key Regionals, Irish Regionals, UK Additional Regionals,
Magazine and Consumer press
27
Brands recognise the positive influence of earned media
In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica story, Facebook
chose to secure a TV interview on CNN News, leveraging the
news channels impartial position and reach .
1,043
mentions secured on independent
UK media outlets over 23 days

28. Attributing the Connection
a
The division between marketing and PR
is a fallacy. PR can really add muscle to
what your marketing is doing.
Vickie Sheriff, Director, Rum Judy, UK
Increasingly, we are seeing that…
32
”
“
a
The data you need to measure effectively
and gain strategic insight will not always
be gathered and held by the PR function.
An integrated approach to insights and
research makes sound business sense.
Khali Sakkas, Board Director, AMEC
“
”

29. A Whole New (Old) World?
Technology moves fast. Here, we explore just some
of the changes and challenges that come with it –
from the ‘new, new’ to those in existence for a while
and which continue to evolve.

30. The ‘new new’ – smart speakers
New media forms are used by
nearly 75% of connected adults
a
Base: 5,000 connected consumers. Source: Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Question: How frequently do you use different types of media? See DIMENSION 2018 Table 4.1 for further
analysis.
View from leaders … smart
speakers in its infancy – a
challenge to create for an
entirely new media form
A general trend towards
voice-activated devices
and growing in popularity
13%
26%
64%
play video games
online
75%
online video
70.%
claim to use a music
streaming service
34
Use smart speaker
to listen to music

31. From TV … to TV : Video
Regardless of the device on which
they’re viewed, subscription services
continue to gain popularity.
Reason: programme quality.
a
Base: 5,000 connected consumers. Source: Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Question: Which of the following describe your reasons for signing up for the (paid subscription to an online TV) service?
See DIMENSION 2018 Table 4.7 for further analysis.
of connected consumers say that’s the
primary reason for paying a premium
35
a
“Digital video is being sold on different metrics
to TV; to be able to measure and plan
campaigns against a total audience for all video
content is what everyone would like.
Will Davies, Head of Ad Sales Planning, Fox, UK
”
“
”
Measurement is rather disorganised right now.
What we hope to do is establish a set of
measurement standards that are universal
across different media forms.
Yuki Xi, Group Planning Director, Carat, China
“

32. Social Media – well established …
Social media faces issues in how it can best be
used commercially
a
Base: 5,000 connected consumers. Source: Kantar Media, DIMENSION study, November - December 2017.
Question: How frequently do you use different types of media? See DIMENSION 2018 Table 4.8 for further
analysis.
36
Connected adults accessing social media…
75%
55%
20%
Several times
a day
At least once
a day
Once
a day
[The young person] graduates thinking that
the world consumes Facebook as he does,
uses Twitter as he does, uses Instagram as
he does. He starts thinking that it is only
“digital first”. But digital first for washing
powder? Digital first for soap?
Roberto Schmidt, Director, TV Globo, Brazil”
“

33. Social Media – the measurement vacuum
As with the subscription services,
access to data is still an issue
a
37
Marketers are seriously concerned
about walled gardens. Some platforms
have a desk in the client’s office, they
deliver a constant narrative designed
to suggest success. All that data is
interesting but only relevant if it can be
linked to business metrics. The call for
independent measurement is correct.
But it’s hard to deliver.
Maarten Albarda, CEO, Flock, US
”
“
The walled garden approach favoured by many
platforms prevents brands from fully
understanding how these media forms work

34. And beyond…
a
38
Look at the cosmetics industry for example and the
applications that exist to allow you to try different looks by
uploading your picture and changing your lipstick, your
make-up, your hair style. That’s AR, at scale. It’s already
impacting new product development. My sense is that the
leap forward we’ll see in terms of AR & VR will be huge.
These are new surfaces for messaging and interaction.
Rob Norman, Advisor to GroupM, US
”
“
Creative excitement and
advertiser expectation
seems to be riding ahead of
consumer use:
 virtual reality
 augmented reality
 voice activated systems
Some media vendors, and some advertisers
are already experimenting with how best to
use these new technologies

35. And beyond …
a
And as the new technologies
evolve and become more
mainstream, so
the measurement challenge
will come to the fore …
… bringing new technologies
will emerge to help shape what we
measure and bringing fresh
challenges to all involved in media
planning, buying and
measurement
39

36. In conclusion …

37. The media business will
continue to evolve, as the
technologies driving
change continue to
develop.
Although progress is being
made in how advertising
(online in particular) is
perceived, much remains
to be done to raise both
creative standards and
relevance – data is key.
As we said at the start,
the momentum is
towards integration
In conclusion

38. Thank you