Advertising, AI, and Generational Expectations: Towards a Multi-Speed Personalization?

The study conducted among 2,095 respondents in France and the United States highlights a clear generational segmentation: Gen Z (18-24 years old) seeks short, dynamic, and ultra-personalized formats, while Millennials (25-34 years old) want efficiency and subtlety. Gen X (35-44 years old) values informative content and social proof, while those aged 45 and over remain attached to traditional formats, simplicity, and privacy protection.

Born with platforms and familiar with short formats, the 18-24 age group stands out for its marked appetite for both personalized and immersive advertising experiences. 72% say they prefer ultra-targeted ads, directly linked to their content preferences.

Adept at creative and renewed formats like Instagram stories/reels, TikTok, or YouTube, "snackable" formats, 6 to 10-second videos dominate their digital environment, as do interactive or "gamified" content, favored by 58% of them. 

This model, however, does not export uniformly. While personalization is highly valued in France, it generates less enthusiasm in the United States, where only 16% of young respondents see it as a positive criterion. 

For the 25-34 age group, efficiency is key. Used to fast-paced lifestyles, they are favorable to useful, discreet, and well-integrated advertising in their purchasing journey. 70% are in favor of using AI to streamline this journey, and 68% appreciate personalized promotions, especially those based on their consumption history.

Less attracted to the spectacular, they prefer advertising setups that do not disrupt the experience. A majority (55%) prefers messages to be subtly integrated into their navigation rather than highlighted.

This age group combines a demand for information and a need for reliability. 60% of respondents aged 35 to 44 say they trust AI-generated recommendations when they are based on reviews or ratings. Content deemed useful or informative is preferred over traditional promotional messages. One in two users favors this approach, indicating a less emotional and more rational relationship with advertising.

Like Gen Z, they appreciate short and impactful formats, under 10 seconds, suited to connected TV, YouTube, or mobile, and are receptive to new technologies, especially voice assistants that enhance their advertising experience.

While younger generations experience advertising as a fluid interaction, baby boomers show a preference for more classic formats, perceived as reliable and reassuring: 70% of them still consider traditional media (television and press) as preferred information channels. Advertising, in this context, remains an expected component of the media landscape, provided it respects certain limits.

The need for control is central: half of the respondents express distrust towards automatic data collection. They tolerate AI but expect it to serve a simple, explicit, and interference-free experience. A logic that does not reject technology but calls for a certain ethics in its use.

For those aged 55 and over, advertising must be clear, direct, and transparent. More than a third completely reject automatic data collection, and 50% seek non-intrusive formats, delivering information straightforwardly. Far from interactive or immersive setups, this generation seems to demand readability above all.

The paradox is that this generation does not reject AI per se. They recognize its utility in improving the TV or advertising experience, but want it to be contextualized, explained, and most importantly, avoidable. For them, access to information should not come at the expense of privacy.

AI, by allowing fine adjustment of content to each user segment, responds to a strategic imperative: capturing increasingly volatile attention, especially among 18-34-year-olds. However, ultra-targeting, while boosting engagement, raises the question of tolerance thresholds. The study reveals that excessive repetition of messages, particularly on social media, is a major source of irritation (up to 52% among those aged 55 and over). Poorly calibrated targeting, on the other hand, causes immediate rejection among 18-24-year-olds.

According to Nikhil Jain, VP Insights and Marketing Solutions at Dailymotion Advertising: