Where Users Prefer to See Ads - and Where Marketers Prefer to Buy Them

In an era where brands are locked in a fierce battle for consumer attention, the advertising landscape is more fragmented than ever. With consumers bombarded by messages across digital and physical channels, one might assume that marketers' strategies are laser-focused on audience preferences.

Yet, a new study reveals a stark disconnect: while users are gravitating toward specific platforms for their ad experiences, marketers often cling to outdated or misaligned choices. Leading the charge in bridging this gap is Amazon's ecosystem, which offers a diverse array of advertising opportunities tailored to varied user behaviors. At the heart of this divergence lies a key insight - platforms like Twitch are not just surviving but thriving in consumer trust, challenging long-held assumptions about niche audiences.

The Growing Disconnect: Consumers vs. Marketers

Where Users Prefer to See Ads - and Where Marketers Prefer to Buy Them According to recent research from Kantar, consumer receptivity to advertising has actually improved, with 57% of global users now open to ads in general—up from 47% the previous year. This positive shift signals an opportunity for brands, but it's tempered by persistent frustrations, such as concerns over AI-generated content (57% worry about fake GenAI ads) and intrusive formats. However, the real eye-opener is the mismatch between where consumers want to encounter ads and where marketers are investing in them.

Consumers prioritize platforms that feel integrated, entertaining, and less disruptive. In Kantar's rankings of preferred ad platforms, Amazon tops the list, followed by Snapchat, TikTok, Twitch, and Prime Video - all of which emphasize seamless, context-rich experiences. Snapchat ads, for instance, are lauded for being "fun and entertaining" and "less intrusive," while TikTok's are "attention-grabbing." These platforms excel by blending ads into the user journey, making them feel like value-adds rather than interruptions.

Where Users Prefer to See Ads - and Where Marketers Prefer to Buy Them Marketers, on the other hand, stick to a more traditional playbook. Their top choices remain YouTube, Instagram, Google, Netflix, and Spotify - a lineup unchanged from the prior year. Notably, there's zero overlap in the top five between consumer and marketer preferences, highlighting a critical blind spot. This inertia could stem from familiarity, robust targeting tools, or established ROI metrics, but it risks alienating audiences who are voting with their engagement elsewhere.

When it comes to channels beyond digital platforms, preferences diverge again. Consumers favor point-of-sale ads (e.g., in-store promotions), in-person sponsored events, cinema spots, digital out-of-home displays, and traditional out-of-home billboards. Marketers, meanwhile, lean toward digital out-of-home, online video, sponsored events, out-of-home, and social commerce. While there's some alignment on experiential formats, the emphasis on video-heavy digital channels by marketers underscores a bet on scalability over serendipity.

Amazon's Ecosystem: A Standout in Ad Innovation

Where Users Prefer to See Ads - and Where Marketers Prefer to Buy Them Amazon's advertising apparatus is a masterclass in diversification, spanning e-commerce, streaming, and social-like interactions to capture users at multiple touchpoints. The Kantar study underscores this dominance: three of the top five consumer-preferred ad platforms - Amazon, Twitch, and Prime Video—are under the Amazon umbrella. This isn't coincidental; Amazon's channels are designed for relevance, leveraging vast first-party data to deliver timely, personalized ads without the creep factor.

Take Twitch, Amazon's live-streaming powerhouse, which ranks fourth overall in consumer preference and boasts the highest trust levels for ads among all platforms. Users here - often immersed in gaming, esports, and interactive content - view ads as part of the communal vibe, not an intrusion. Interactive formats, like mid-stream takeovers or sponsored chats, foster authenticity, turning passive viewers into engaged participants.

Where Users Prefer to See Ads - and Where Marketers Prefer to Buy Them Yet, many marketers dismiss Twitch as a "niche" play, pigeonholing its dedicated gaming and live-streaming audiences as too narrow or demographics-skewed (e.g., young males). This perception persists despite Twitch's global reach of over 140 million monthly users and its crossover appeal to broader entertainment seekers. The reality? These "niche" groups are highly loyal and influential, driving word-of-mouth and cross-platform behaviors that savvy brands can tap. Amazon's integration of Twitch with Prime perks further amplifies this, making ad exposure feel like an extension of membership benefits.

Prime Video, rounding out the top five, benefits from similar synergies—ads here are non-skippable but contextually tied to binge-worthy content, enhancing rather than detracting from the experience. Overall, Amazon's ecosystem proves that variety breeds preference: from search-driven retail ads to immersive streaming, it meets users where they are, building trust through consistency.

Spotlight on Twitch: Trust in an Unlikely Hero

Where Users Prefer to See Ads - and Where Marketers Prefer to Buy Them Twitch's ascent in the Kantar rankings - from unranked in prior years to a top-four spot—challenges the status quo head-on. Consumers trust its ads more than those on YouTube, Instagram, or even TikTok, citing factors like transparency (e.g., clear sponsorship disclosures) and community moderation. In a landscape plagued by misinformation - exemplified by X (formerly Twitter) ranking dead last in trust for the third year running, with 29% of marketers planning to cut spend there - Twitch's model feels refreshingly grounded.

This trust translates to action: Users on Twitch are 20-30% more likely to engage with sponsored content than on general social platforms, per ancillary industry data. For marketers, the lesson is clear - don't let stereotypes limit reach. The platform's "engaged and numerous" audiences aren't silos; they're trendsetters in culture, tech, and entertainment, with spillover effects to e-commerce (hello, Amazon shopping integrations).

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Bridging the Gap: Implications for Marketers

The Kantar findings aren't just a wake-up call - they're a roadmap. As marketers eye 2026 budgets, planned increases in influencer content (net +61%), social commerce (+53%), and streaming (+54%) show some adaptation. But to truly align, brands must prioritize consumer-led insights over echo-chamber assumptions. Tools like Amazon's can help: Its self-serve platforms allow testing across channels, measuring real-time engagement to refine strategies.

In the end, winning attention means listening to it. By leaning into trusted spaces like Twitch and Amazon's broader ecosystem, marketers can transform perceived "niches" into scalable successes. The audience has spoken - now it's time for the industry to catch up.

*This article draws on Kantar's 2025 Media Reactions report, highlighting global trends in ad preferences.*