Fewer Ads Target Younger Internet Users

Young people between the ages of 2 and 17 experience the least amount of online advertising “clutter” on the internet, while online adults age 65+ are subjected to the most, according to (pdf) research from Nielsen Online.

Since websites designed for children have little to no advertising, it is not surprising that the youngest Web visitors are typically exposed to a low level of advertising clutter, Nielsen said. But teens (age 12-17), the highest indexing age group on MySpace, also encounter relatively low clutter levels and are accustomed to less clutter than all adult age groups. This could potentially make them less tolerant of additional clutter than older adults.

Nielsen said that identifying ideal clutter level can drive successful online media buys and ad inventory and has introduced a new ad clutter metric to help advertisers leverage the right combination of web traffic, ad volume and demographic targeting.

“For decades, advertisers and publishers have struggled to define the right balance of content and advertising. Used in conjunction with other metrics, such as unique audience, the clutter measure provides a relative benchmark to help media buyers understand the Web sites that provide the optimal level of impressions within an acceptable amount of clutter.” -- Jon Gibs, vice president, media analytics, Nielsen Online

Ya think there might be a lesson for us in "old media" here??