Advertising Receptivity: Does Mindset Matter More Than Timing?

Consumer mindset plays a critical role in advertising receptivity, shaping how—and when—audiences are most open to brand messages.

While marketers often focus on platforms, formats, and targeting, one crucial factor remains underexamined: the consumer’s mindset. Whether someone is casually scrolling through social media, actively searching for a product, or winding down after a long day, their mental state dramatically affects how they receive—and respond to—advertising. 

A new research is now turning the spotlight onto this subtle but powerful variable: mood-driven receptivity. It quantifies the importance of the consumer mindset in determining when people are most receptive to advertising. Findings include:

• 40% of people seeking to challenge their comfort zones when they go online will act on advertising, compared to only 20% of those browsing in a ‘filling time’ mindset.
• People looking to ‘improve their mood’ or ‘find comfort’ are almost twice as likely to regard advertising as a positive experience than those who are looking to ‘relax and de-stress’ or ‘have some me-time’.

The research, ‘Meaningful Connections’, was commissioned by Mindshare (part of GroupM), Azerion UK, and undertaken by Differentology to enhance planning strategies and advertising effectiveness for brands and advertisers; the results were announced at Azerion UK’s ‘Infinite Possibilities’ leadership event. 

How Mindset Shapes What Content Works—and When

Consumer preferences for content are strongly influenced by their current emotional and cognitive state, which can shape not only what they engage with but how they interpret it.

The study shows that the content people want to receive is influenced by their mindset. Meaningful Connections evolves this understanding to quantify these receptive media moments so that they can be deployed for data-driven decision-making when determining the media mix.

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The new study evaluated the different mindsets in which people consume media to create the Communication Receptivity (CORE) Index. Based on six key metrics (Emotion, Relevance, Intent, Focus, Visibility and Experience), the CORE Index is a strategic media planning tool that moves away from the traditional broad, demographic approach to audience targeting in favour of engaging with people through being highly relevant.

Understanding the different states of mind when people are online and how these relate to their perception of advertising enables brands to select the content, channel and timing that will be most effective; higher receptive mindsets invite a more complex narrative, while lower receptivity is better suited to building awareness, for example.

Rachel Cunliffe, research and insights account director at Mindshare, says: “A brand’s target audience cannot be treated as a homogenous group – how receptive they are to advertising messages will vary depending on the emotional and psychological needs of each individual, with these continually shifting over time. Our research focuses on understanding people’s need states as the key to reaching them with ads that resonate, rather than feeling intrusive and irrelevant. By quantifying receptivity, we can deliver an advertising experience that feels authentic, relevant and aligns with the consumers’ current mindset.” 

Essentially, it’s not about forcing the message through—it’s about finding the open window and slipping in gracefully.

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Inside the 16 Media Mindsets: Mapping Mood to Ad Impact

Our online profiles wear many hats, from curious explorer to comfort seeker, and each comes with its own level of openness to a sales pitch.

Media Mindsets identified 16 mindsets in which people consumed media:

Be informed & up-to-date

• Improve mood
• Indulge
• Find inspiration
• Take some me-time
• Connect or socialise
• Escape reality for a while
• Challenge oneself
• Relax & de-stress
• Find comfort
• Learn something new
• Give back to the planet or others
• Fill some time
• Have fun
• Find excitement
• Explore a topic in-depth

The research measures how receptive someone is when they are in a particular mindset. Other example findings include:

• 70% of web users looking to be informed, fill time or have some me-time have high levels of focus and will not use any other devices when in these mindsets.
• People looking to improve their mood or find comfort are almost twice as likely to feel that the advertising was relevant and aligned to the context in which it was viewed than those who are looking to relax and de-stress or have some me-time.
• A third of people looking to find excitement say they recall seeing advertising, twice as high as someone looking to relax and de-stress.
• When in a mindset to connect and socialise, individuals have heightened levels of happiness, an above average positive mindset which is a key component of increased receptiveness.
• People looking to find excitement have the strongest positive emotional state (i.e., are more receptive), the lowest is among those looking to escape reality or fill time. 
• Individuals engaging in media to pass the time are less receptive (index of 60) to marketing communications than people seeking inspiration, finding excitement or looking to challenge themselves, when receptivity is higher (index of 126+). 

The same ad can be perceived very differently depending on the viewer’s mindset, indicating that emotional context plays a measurable role in advertising effectiveness.

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Roxanne Harley, Head of Growth at Azerion, says, “Brands have many ways to target their audiences at any time of the night or day – but reach does not equal engagement. The new research shines a light on why the customer journey lies at the heart of truly connected omnichannel advertising and how marketers can adopt this approach to drive people-centric campaigns, themes that underpin today’s Infinite Possibilities event.”

Mark James, CEO at Differentology, says, “We’ve all experienced how our mindset influences the way we respond to messages. This research quantifies those previously intangible emotions, giving brands the actionable insights they need to craft more effective, personalised campaigns across every touchpoint in the customer journey.”

As advertising evolves from interruption to intention, understanding mindset could be the key to finally getting it right.

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