Barcelona, Spain – 20 November 2025
As retailers and brands prepare for the Black Friday and Christmas season, Opti Digital – the leading AdTech company specialising in publisher revenue optimisation, finds that premium editorial environments play a key role in shaping British consumer confidence.
The research shows that 41.85% of British respondents consider brand ads on reputable news or magazine websites credible or very credible, while only 14.11% view them as low in credibility. This places trusted publishers ahead of social media platforms in both perceived relevancy and trustworthiness.
Premium environments drive consumer action
Credible settings not only influence perception but also encourage meaningful engagement. 68.37% of British respondents said they visited a brand’s website or looked for further information after seeing an open-web ad.
Higher-income households demonstrate particularly strong responsiveness. Among British consumers earning over £70,000 per year, 60.52% trust ads on premium publisher sites, and 76.19% visited a brand’s website after exposure.
“Our findings confirm what we observe across our publisher network: when consumers see ads within respected editorial environments, they assign higher relevance and credibility to those brands,” said Magali Quentel-Reme, CEO of Opti Digital. “As the holiday season peaks, advertisers that prioritise qualitative ad inventory on the open web see stronger engagement, and greater trust. For publishers, this is evidence that credibility remains a decisive competitive edge.”
Video stands out as the most memorable format
When asked which type of ad stood out most during the 2025 holiday season, 32.12% of British respondents selected programmatic video. Display banners featuring offers followed at 28.71%.
Repetition strengthens purchase confidence
Exposure across multiple trusted websites reinforces brand perception. 47.20% of British respondents said that seeing the same brand on several credible sites increases their likelihood to purchase, indicating that repetition in premium environments builds momentum rather than fatigue.
Methodology
This research is part of Opti Digital’s ongoing market research reports, examining how digital advertising influences consumer behaviour across key markets. The U.K. edition was launched on 5 November 2025 and is based on a survey of 411 U.K. online users, with a 5% margin of error and a 95% confidence level, ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the findings.
Access the full U.K. Holiday Programmatic Advertising Report
A separate U.S. edition of this research (click here for full story) was also conducted using the same methodology and sample size, providing comparative insights into American consumer behaviour. You can access the U.S. edition here
