New Study From iHeartMedia and Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries Finds Consumers Feel Increasingly Ignored By Advertisers – And Provides Key Insights to Help Marketers Reach the 44 Percent of Consumers Who Feel Unserved

iHeartMedia, the No. 1 audio company in the United States with 9 out of 10 Americans listening to iHeart broadcast radio every month, in partnership with bestselling author and podcaster Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries, today released the findings from its second annual study, “The New American Consumer 2.0.” The study, which found that nearly half of Americans (44 percent) feel ignored by advertisers, highlights the stark differences between a large group of Americans and the personal beliefs and values of the marketers that are trying to reach them with products and services – and provides insights to help marketers avoid the pitfalls of their own biases to understand and better serve these key audience segments.

According to the Fortune Global 500, the world's 500 largest companies posted near flat aggregated revenues in 2024. The research, conducted by Morning Consult, Advertiser Perceptions and Critical Mass Media, highlights how a disconnect between the average marketer’s life and that of the average consumer can sometimes impact marketers’ efforts to effectively connect to and reach all important consumer segments in ways that help all consumers feel seen and heard. For example, in one finding, the research showed that consumers are much more likely to enjoy hunting, fishing and buying lottery tickets, while in contrast, pickleball and tennis top the list of activities marketers find cool.

“We marketers have more data at our fingertips than ever before, yet almost half of American consumers are feeling ignored,” said Gayle Troberman, CMO, iHeartMedia. “As marketers, we have to be careful not to let our personal perception guide our marketing decisions. This study lays out where our perception matches the marketplace and where there are major differences -- so we can use that information to make new and better decisions about maximizing the appeal of our products to all consumers, not just those who align with our own perceptions and values.”

The study found 72 percent of consumers don’t want to buy products from brands that are ignoring them, and 75 percent would even be willing to pay a little more to support a brand that shares their values. “As marketers, we need to be reminded that we are not the target for most of our marketing campaigns,” added Troberman. “There’s a big opportunity to improve marketing results with a more conscious focus on the real-life influences that the majority of consumers rely on -- and by more accurately reflecting our customers’ real values, passions and priorities.”