Spotify is seen as the most trusted platform for ads, according to a new study by Kantar Media. 

While consumers say they are most receptive to ads on TikTok, Spotify is actually the most trusted, followed by Google and Amazon.  

That was one of the findings from Kantar’s Media Reactions 2021 report. Kantar surveyed over 900 marketing professionals and 14,500 consumers across 23 markets worldwide, representing over 80% of global media spend.

The report focuses on several themes, including which platforms are the most innovative and trustworthy. Instagram best manages this balancing act while YouTube, Google and Facebook are trusted platforms but are considered slightly less innovative. 

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TikTok is innovative, but is not yet trusted by marketers when taking into account brand safety and ad measurement. But there’s no denying the popularity and reach of the app: Kantar found that the number of consumers exposed to ads on TikTok almost doubled from 19% last year to 37% this year. TikTok is also seen as the platform with the most "fun and entertaining" ads.

Among consumers, TikTok is considered the most innovative platform, followed by Instagram and Spotify. 

The survey found that consumer receptivity to ads on music streaming services and podcasts both increased 3% from last year. Podcast advertisements also increased 3%. As a fairly novel media channel, podcasts already had the second-highest ad equity among online media channels last year. This year, they overtake influencer content to claim the number one spot. Consumers have formed more opinions about podcasts as an ad platform, and podcast ads are perceived as both better quality and more relevant, as well as more repetitive, compared to 2020.

Going local 

Local brands are also seen as more trustworthy than global brands by consumers, but say local brands have too much advertising. In 16 of the 23 markets surveyed, the top ranked media brand was a local media brand or a localized version of global media brands. And 10 of these 16 are news and magazine brands. 

Finally, the survey found that print and radio ad spend are set to decline again next year, with marketers turning to online video, social media, and influencer content.