The news: Subtitles in ads and media content are turning into a market expectation and asset, expanding beyond an accessibility issue.

• 80% of viewers in the US, the UK, France, Germany, and Spain use captions at least sometimes when viewing content, with 42% using them always or often, per Extreme Reach’s Global Accessibility Report.
• 68% of Gen Zers ages 18 to 24 in France, and 58% in the US and UK, use captions always or often. This occurs even though 81% of all viewers report no difficulty hearing.
• Over one-third (36%) report paying more attention to ads when captions are on, and 32% catch more detail.

Canada is the only country where 100% of ads are captioned, while just 27% of ads in the US and 56% in the UK are captioned.

The opportunity: Viewers may be watching content in public, at work, and while multitasking, all of which could be circumstances where they may have sound turned off. Six in 10 French consumers cite multitasking as the top reason they use captions.

Younger audiences are also being conditioned to expect subtitles via content on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube that often has captions built into the viewing experience. This makes subtitled video feel easier to consume, while those lacking it may feel less polished or harder to follow.

Subtitles can also maximize campaign potential by improving audiences’ understanding of content that isn’t in their native language—75% of German consumers and 79% of Spanish consumers use captions to better understand spoken content that’s otherwise in another language.

However, poor subtitles, which may result from AI-powered translation and captioning tools, can create friction that hurts campaign performance. This could distract viewers and obscure key messaging, especially when targeting international audiences.

Recommendations for marketers: Brands can’t assume audio alone is reaching their full audience. Captions on ads help ensure viewers can identify brand name, product benefits, and calls to action even when audio is off.

Subtitles help brands meet users’ expectations for accessibility while serving those with and without hearing impairments, benefiting a broad audience.

• Treat captions like any other creative element that affects ad attention and comprehension, and ensure multiple languages are supported.
• Set up systems to review subtitles, especially when relying on platforms’ on-site translation tools, to ensure they’re accurate and optimized for various devices.

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