People are exposed to a variety of types of ads on a daily basis from television ads to online ads and more than half (55%) of Americans say they find current advertising to be interesting while 41 percent say it is not interesting, according to a new survey by Harris Interactive.

Younger adults and those with higher incomes are more likely to consider ads interesting. Sixty-six percent of adults aged 18-34 and 60 percent of adults aged 35-44 think ads are interesting as do 62 percent of Americans with a household income of $75,000 or more.

The opposite is true of adults 55 and older with 52 percent saying that current advertising is not interesting and 46 percent of those aged 45-54 and those who have a household income between $35,000 and $74, 999.

When buying products and/or services, over half of Americans (54%) say advertisements they had seen or heard were not influential when then made their last large purchase, with one-quarter (25%) saying they were not at all influential. One-third (35%) of Americans say the ads they saw or heard were influential.

The survey found that younger Internet audience are more interested in special offers, the entertainment factor and exclusive information within advertising.  For 45-54 year olds however, ads need to be more relevant and useful to make an impact.

Ads that offer discounts particularly appeal to 18 -35 year olds, but with the economy slowing, people of all ages are looking for ads that offer discounts.

The majority of respondents believed they had been exposed to more traditional forms of online advertising, such as sponsored links, banners and emails. These ads were most likely to have generated click-though rates.

The research found that newer forms of online advertising are gaining ground, specifically ads using rich media such as video and widgets. Facebook gifts and branded applications online are especially effective with 18-24 year olds – 29 percent had seen and sometimes interacted with an ad from either Facebook or branded content.

Email advertising is particularly effective for those 25 or older. Thirty-four percent of 25-34 year olds said they had seen and sometimes clicked on an ad in an email.

“The research has found that even though not all consumers click on ads, they are now fully acquainted with most forms of advertising online, with the majority having been exposed to most internet ad formats,” said Sorcha Proctor, Research Manager for IAB UK.

“It also highlights exactly what consumers what online: relevance, entertainment and value for money, and its important for brands to bear this in mind when planning their digital campaigns.”

The Good Practice Principles aim to empower consumers and give them information and choices about behavioral advertising.

Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and AOL all support the new principles. Online behavioral advertising is the growing practice of serving relevant ads to groups of anonymous Internet users, based on previous browsing activity.

New research by IAB found that 85 percent of consumers would rather have free content on the Internet with advertising on Web sites, than have to pay for access. Fifty percent of those Internet users said they would prefer to receive advertising that is relevant to them.

All companies that sign up to the Principles have six months to comply with three core commitments:

* Notice – a company collecting and using online data for behavioral advertising – such as a website publisher, ad network or technology company – must clearly inform a consumer that data is being collected and used for this purpose.

* Choice – a company collecting and using online data for behavioral advertising must provide a mechanism for users to decline behavioral advertising and where applicable seek a consumer’s consent (where data protection law or specific regulatory guidance applies).

* Education – a company collecting and using online data for behavioral advertising must provide consumers with clear and simple information about their use of data for this purpose and how users can decline.

Why does the 125×125 pixel ad rock?

• A growing amount of affiliates are offering these ads to publishers
• Due to their bright and diverse colors they can give your website a charismatic appeal as well as maintain an impression of livelihood.
• When positioned correctly, they are not intrusive to your readers yet they still uphold their presence effectively.
• These ads tend to be very well accustomed to the traditional sidebar thus explaining their popularity with bloggers.

However, are these ads appropriate for all blogs?

You should first consider the following before making a decision.

• Not all advertisers are yet at the stage where 125 x 125 pixel ads are being taken into their consideration and they tend to prefer the traditional ad sizes.
• They can counter the intended effect of your web design. For example, these ads may oppose the effect of a more minimal, passive web design. This can be harmful to your blog’s appeal.
• These ads do not work well for all industries. Each industry has a certain set of preferences when it comes to advertising. These may not always include 125 x 125 pixel ads.