YouTube outperformed competing platforms on ad recall, perceived ad quality, and purchase influence in a U.S. survey of teenagers and adults ages 25 to 45, according to new proprietary panel research from Precisify, a digital advertising intelligence company.
The report, which includes strategic commentary from media analyst Evan Shapiro, surveyed 1,000 U.S. respondents ages 13 to 17 and 25 to 45 through an online questionnaire covering media consumption, platform preferences, influencer behavior, mobile gaming, and purchasing decisions.
YouTube Leads Ad Recall
YouTube generated the highest ad recall of any platform in the study, with 52% of both teens and adults ages 25 to 45 reporting they had recently seen ads there. TikTok ranked second among teens at 38%, while Facebook ranked second among adults ages 25 to 45 at 36%. Netflix placed third among teens at 36%, and Instagram placed third among adults ages 25 to 45 at 30%.
YouTube also led when teens were asked where they see the best ads. Thirty-six percent of teens selected YouTube, followed by Netflix at 20% and TikTok at 18%. Facebook and Instagram each received 16% among teens, while Amazon Prime Video received 13% and YouTube Shorts received 11%.
YouTube Shorts Outpaces TikTok on Ad Watch Rates
YouTube Shorts generated higher reported ad watch rates than TikTok across both demographics. Among teens, 66% said they watch ads on YouTube Shorts, compared with 57% on TikTok. Among adults ages 25 to 45, 48% reported watching YouTube Shorts ads, compared with 43% on TikTok.
The survey also found lower reported ad skip rates on YouTube Shorts. Twenty percent of teens and 38% of adults ages 25 to 45 said they skip ads on YouTube Shorts, compared with 25% of teens and 40% of adults ages 25 to 45 on TikTok.
Parents Cite YouTube Ads as Purchase Drivers
Parents reported stronger purchase influence from YouTube ads than from competing platforms. Thirty percent of parents said a YouTube ad drove their most recent purchase for their child, ahead of TikTok at 21%, Netflix at 19%, Instagram at 17%, and Facebook at 16%.
YouTube also ranked as a leading source of parental gift discovery across several categories. Among parents seeking gift inspiration for their teens, 28% cited YouTube for hobbies-related gifts, 26% for video games, 25% for food and drink, and 25% for tech devices. Makeup and beauty ranked fifth at 24%.
The survey found that teens have influence over several household spending decisions. Fifty-four percent of parents said their teen influenced clothing and footwear purchases, 50% reported influence over food and beverage choices, and 47% said their teen influenced which movies the family watches. Teens also influenced restaurant choices in 45% of households and family game purchases in 40%.
Reach Extends Across Devices and Co-Viewing
The advertising findings sit within a broader picture of YouTube’s reach across the media market. YouTube reached 83% of teens and 75% of adults ages 25 to 45 surveyed, ranking first in both cohorts. Netflix ranked second among teens at 78%, while Facebook ranked second among adults ages 25 to 45 at 67%.
Forty-five percent of teens and adults ages 25 to 45 combined said they spend between 30 minutes and one hour on YouTube on a typical day.
YouTube’s viewing footprint also extends across devices. Seventy-nine percent of teens reported watching YouTube on a phone, 46% on a TV screen, 44% on a PC, and 43% on a tablet. Additionally, 43% of teens and 50% of adults ages 25 to 45 said they use YouTube as a second screen while watching television.
“Teens and Millennials are radical multitaskers,” Shapiro said. “They create media hours in their day, by watching and using two, or more, screens at a time.”
Among parents of teens, 46% reported co-viewing YouTube with their child several times a week, extending the platform’s advertising reach to adult household decision-makers.
The creator data gives advertisers another route into YouTube beyond platform-served ads.
“Creators are the biggest stars in Millennial and younger culture,” Shapiro said. “When asked where they first seek creator content, Millennials turn to YouTube by nearly 2-to-1. We see the two-screen advantage continue to grow, as creators seek bigger paydays on CTV.”
Methodology: Precisify said the findings come from a proprietary panel survey of 1,000 U.S. respondents ages 13 to 17 and 25 to 45. The questionnaire covered media consumption, platform preferences, influencer behavior, mobile gaming, and purchasing decisions.
Image source: Precisify The full report is available here
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
YouTube outperformed competing platforms on ad recall, perceived ad quality, and purchase influence in a U.S. survey of teenagers and adults ages 25 to 45, according to new proprietary panel research from Precisify, a digital advertising intelligence company.
The report, which includes strategic commentary from media analyst Evan Shapiro, surveyed 1,000 U.S. respondents ages 13 to 17 and 25 to 45 through an online questionnaire covering media consumption, platform preferences, influencer behavior, mobile gaming, and purchasing decisions.
YouTube Leads Ad Recall
YouTube generated the highest ad recall of any platform in the study, with 52% of both teens and adults ages 25 to 45 reporting they had recently seen ads there. TikTok ranked second among teens at 38%, while Facebook ranked second among adults ages 25 to 45 at 36%. Netflix placed third among teens at 36%, and Instagram placed third among adults ages 25 to 45 at 30%.
YouTube also led when teens were asked where they see the best ads. Thirty-six percent of teens selected YouTube, followed by Netflix at 20% and TikTok at 18%. Facebook and Instagram each received 16% among teens, while Amazon Prime Video received 13% and YouTube Shorts received 11%.
YouTube Shorts Outpaces TikTok on Ad Watch Rates
YouTube Shorts generated higher reported ad watch rates than TikTok across both demographics. Among teens, 66% said they watch ads on YouTube Shorts, compared with 57% on TikTok. Among adults ages 25 to 45, 48% reported watching YouTube Shorts ads, compared with 43% on TikTok.
The survey also found lower reported ad skip rates on YouTube Shorts. Twenty percent of teens and 38% of adults ages 25 to 45 said they skip ads on YouTube Shorts, compared with 25% of teens and 40% of adults ages 25 to 45 on TikTok.
Parents Cite YouTube Ads as Purchase Drivers
Parents reported stronger purchase influence from YouTube ads than from competing platforms. Thirty percent of parents said a YouTube ad drove their most recent purchase for their child, ahead of TikTok at 21%, Netflix at 19%, Instagram at 17%, and Facebook at 16%.
YouTube also ranked as a leading source of parental gift discovery across several categories. Among parents seeking gift inspiration for their teens, 28% cited YouTube for hobbies-related gifts, 26% for video games, 25% for food and drink, and 25% for tech devices. Makeup and beauty ranked fifth at 24%.
The survey found that teens have influence over several household spending decisions. Fifty-four percent of parents said their teen influenced clothing and footwear purchases, 50% reported influence over food and beverage choices, and 47% said their teen influenced which movies the family watches. Teens also influenced restaurant choices in 45% of households and family game purchases in 40%.
Reach Extends Across Devices and Co-Viewing
The advertising findings sit within a broader picture of YouTube’s reach across the media market. YouTube reached 83% of teens and 75% of adults ages 25 to 45 surveyed, ranking first in both cohorts. Netflix ranked second among teens at 78%, while Facebook ranked second among adults ages 25 to 45 at 67%.
Forty-five percent of teens and adults ages 25 to 45 combined said they spend between 30 minutes and one hour on YouTube on a typical day.
YouTube’s viewing footprint also extends across devices. Seventy-nine percent of teens reported watching YouTube on a phone, 46% on a TV screen, 44% on a PC, and 43% on a tablet. Additionally, 43% of teens and 50% of adults ages 25 to 45 said they use YouTube as a second screen while watching television.
“Teens and Millennials are radical multitaskers,” Shapiro said. “They create media hours in their day, by watching and using two, or more, screens at a time.”
Among parents of teens, 46% reported co-viewing YouTube with their child several times a week, extending the platform’s advertising reach to adult household decision-makers.
The creator data gives advertisers another route into YouTube beyond platform-served ads.
“Creators are the biggest stars in Millennial and younger culture,” Shapiro said. “When asked where they first seek creator content, Millennials turn to YouTube by nearly 2-to-1. We see the two-screen advantage continue to grow, as creators seek bigger paydays on CTV.”
Methodology: Precisify said the findings come from a proprietary panel survey of 1,000 U.S. respondents ages 13 to 17 and 25 to 45. The questionnaire covered media consumption, platform preferences, influencer behavior, mobile gaming, and purchasing decisions.
Image source: Precisify
The full report is available here
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