Sponsored content – Will Britons fall for it in 2025?
New research from YouGov Profiles highlights how different generations interact with sponsored content on blogs and vlogs. The findings also reveal the actions British adults take after consuming sponsored material.
How consumers engage with sponsored content on blogs/ vlogs
Only 7% of adults say they read or watch sponsored content every time they encounter it. This behavior is more common among millennials (11%) and gen Z (8%) compared to gen X (4%) and baby boomers (1%). Some 27% of Britons across generations report skimming through sponsored content to assess its relevance.
Gen Z and baby boomers are more likely to skim (30%), while millennials (26%) and gen X (24%) show lower tendencies. However, 26% of adults claim they ignore sponsored content entirely, with baby boomers leading this group at 36%, followed by gen X at 29%, millennials at 24%, and gen Z at 21%. About 5% of adults stop engaging with content upon realizing it is sponsored. Gen Z is slightly more likely to disengage after noticing sponsorship (7%) in comparison to other generations.
What types of blogs/vlogs do adults who read or watch sponsored content every time follow? They are more likely to follow photography (15%), tech (13%), gaming (13%), and fashion (13%) blogs/vlogs. In contrast, Britons who ignore sponsored content are more likely to follow news (24%), lifestyle (25%), and motoring blogs/vlogs (24%).
Actions taken after reading or watching sponsored content
Nearly half (46%) of adults take no action after watching or reading sponsored content, with baby boomers (63%), gen Z (52%), and gen X (46%) most likely to do nothing. In contrast, millennials are the most action-oriented generation, with only 37% reporting no action.
Millennials lead in making purchases influenced by sponsored content, with 17% buying products online and 11% offline. Gen Z follows with 14% buying online and 9% offline.
Exploration of products is also prevalent, particularly among millennials, with 33% seeking more information about advertised products and 22% researching similar products or competitor offerings. Gen Z (24%) and gen X (22%) also show interest in exploring products further, while baby boomers are less inclined to research (20%).
Social actions like discussing products with friends or family and following brands on social media are most common among gen Z and millennials.
Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for Great Britain is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.