It might seem a little weird to think about seeing ads on, say, your smart refrigerator — but according to a new study, Americans are actually pretty open to the idea of advertising on “Internet of Things” devices.
The study was released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (a trade group for online publishers and advertisers) and conducted by MARU/VCR&C, which says it surveyed more than 1,200 US adults.
Apparently 65 percent of respondents who own IoT devices said they’re willing to see ads on their IoT screens — and in fact, 62 percent said they already have. As for why, some respondents said they’d be willing to see an ad if it offered them a coupon (44 percent), extra features (30 percent) or exclusive games (22 percent).
And no, those IoT owners aren’t just a tiny minority. The study also suggests that the Internet of Things is already making its way into consumers’ homes, with 62 percent of respondents saying they already own an IoT device — most likely a smart TV (47 percent), wearable health tracker (24 percent) or Internet-connected home control device (17 percent).
“Vigorous growth in familiarity and IoT usage is fueling interest among consumers — and brands need to pay attention,” said Patrick Dolan, the IAB’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, in a statement.
Update: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that 65 percent of all respondents said they’re willing to see an IoT ad, when it was actually 65 percent of the respondents who said they own IoT devices.