Study: Nearly 67% of SEA consumers tune out repetitive ads

Nearly two-thirds of consumers in Southeast Asia are tuning out repetitive ads shown on a single channel, according to a new report by advertising technology company The Trade Desk.

The study, titled "The untapped opportunity of omnichannel", found that 66% of respondents have experienced ad fatigue from seeing the same brand repeatedly on one platform, with Indonesia at 69% and the Philippines at 67% reporting the highest levels, followed by Thailand at 65% and Singapore at 63%. Gen Z consumers were 57% more likely to be annoyed by repeated ads on a single channel compared to other demographics.

Despite this widespread fatigue, more than half of Southeast Asians said ads influence their next purchase, with figures climbing to 66% in Thailand and 60% in Indonesia. Southeast Asians were also found to be 1.6 times more likely than the global average to be inspired by ads when shopping online.

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The Trade Desk noted that while both omnichannel and multichannel campaigns use multiple platforms, multichannel campaigns often operate in silos with separate strategies for each channel. Meanwhile, omnichannel campaigns connect three or more digital channels such as mobile, display, video, audio, digital-out-of-home, or connected TV/ over-the top (OTT) into a unified experience that sequences messages and controls frequency across the user journey.

According to the study, omnichannel strategies reduced ad fatigue by 2.2 times and increased persuasive impact by 1.5 times compared to siloed campaigns.

Looking at regional nuances, Thailand showed strong brand recall through online video, gaming, and websites, with connected TV/OTT driving both recall and trust, making viewers 23% more likely to remember brands and 16% more likely to trust ads compared to other formats.

In the Philippines, social media remains dominant, but consumer trust is higher in premium open internet channels such as CTV/OTT, music streaming, and online video, which command 1.2 times greater trust than social media.

Singaporean consumers were the most ad-sceptical in the region, but trust remained highest in CTV/OTT, online video, and music streaming, with Millennials showing stronger message recall and product awareness when engaged across multiple trusted channels.

Indonesia led the region in ad recall at 81%, well above the 66% regional average, but trailed in brand trust, ranking just behind Singapore, suggesting that marketers should prioritise trusted formats such as online video and CTV/OTT to close the credibility gap.

“As media consumption becomes increasingly fragmented, ad fatigue is emerging as a major challenge for marketers. Our research shows that an omnichannel approach is far better equipped to manage frequency across channels, publishers, and platforms, while delivering a cohesive sequence of relevant messages," said Simon Morgan, senior vice president at The Trade Desk. 

He added, "When campaigns are audience-first and aligned with how people actually consume media, they reduce fatigue, while driving stronger business outcomes.”

This focus on fresh, impactful advertising comes as media platforms ramp up new offerings. In June, LinkedIn expanded its video ad capabilities with First Impression Ads, Reserved Ads, and enhanced CTV placements aimed at helping B2B marketers break through attention barriers and drive sales.

First Impression Ads are full-screen vertical videos shown as the first ad a user sees, designed for single-day campaigns. Reserved Ads let brands secure premium feed placements in advance for sponsored content such as Thought Leader Ads. Both formats will roll out globally later this year.

Meanwhile, Meta introduced paid ads and features in WhatsApp’s Updates tab, marking a shift from its long-standing no-ads policy. This includes ads in Status, promoted Channels, and paid subscriptions, all confined to the Updates tab used by over 1.5 billion people daily, leaving private chats unaffected. Advertisers and Channel admins can now reach audiences through paid placements and initiate conversations via clickable Status ads.

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