TORONTO - April 28, 2009 - According to a study released on Monday by the Canadian Marketing Association, privacy concerns trump perceived value when it comes to a consumer’s acceptance of targeted ads based on their online behaviour.
“An underlying driver is the sense of control,” noted Wally Hill, Vice-President of Public Affairs and Communications, CMA. “Most Canadian consumers are aware that some of their online browsing information may be collected but want more transparency and control over the ads being presented to them.”
The study results were featured in the Association’s latest Leadership paper on behavioural advertising 
that was released on Monday at the CMA National Convention in Toronto. Conducted in late 2008, the study was conducted by TNS Canadian Facts in collaboration with CMA. Key findings include:
- Seven in 10 Canadians (69%) are aware their browsing information may be collected for advertising purposes when they are online.
- With the exception of cases where there is an existing relationship, most Canadian consumers feel online advertising is irrelevant to their needs -- half (53%) indicate that fewer than one in 10 ads are relevant.
- Canadians who consider online privacy to be a very important issue (58%) are not being driven by an underlying opposition to online advertising; indeed, they like seeing ads for coupons or promotions from companies they have dealt with before.
- Most Canadians (79%) do not see the Internet as a well-regulated and safe place and many would like to have the means to ensure that they have choice and control over ads presented to them as a result of their web-browsing activity.
There is a strong correlation between a user’s technical expertise and amount of time spent online and taking actions to be anonymous when online – technically savvy consumers spend more time online and take steps more frequently than their less-skilled counterparts to be anonymous when surfing websites.
Media Contact
Ed Cartwright
Senior Director, Communications
T. 416-644-3760
ecartwright@the-cma.org
