Teens’ ad preferences, consumers stay quiet about negative experiences, and other key stats from this week

A lot happens in a week, so every Friday we're going to analyze all the new data and provide you with some of the key takeaways. Welcome to the Friday 5.

This week, teens want ads with products in action, consumers aren’t giving brands negative feedback, and St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t interest consumers as much as other holidays.

Key stat: Teens pay attention to ads if done right. Nearly a third (31%) of teens say ads that show products in action are effective, according to recent data from TeenVoice.

• Ads with music (28%) and humor (26%) also grab their attention.
• Two-thirds of teens are more likely to buy something they saw on TikTok than on a big-budget TV campaign.

Key stat: Consumers aren’t giving feedback the way they used to. Less than a third (32%) of consumers sent feedback directly to a company after a bad experience, down 7.7 points since 2021, according to a 2025 Consumer Trends report from XM Institute and Qualtrics.

• Consumers are less likely to post about it on social media, tell friends or family, or comment or rate the company on a third-party site.
• Conversely, the percentage of consumers who didn’t share the bad experience has risen 6.3 points since 2021, reaching nearly a quarter (24%) of consumers.

Key stat: St. Patrick’s Day gets a muted celebration. A third (33%) of US consumers plan to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the third least celebrated holiday behind Cinco de Mayo (21%) and Hanukkah (5%), per Numerator.

• Among St. Paddy’s Day celebrators, 31% will decorate their home, 31% will gather with family and friends, and 30% will cook or bake at home.
• Grocery stores are the top shopping destination, with 46% of consumers planning to visit them for St. Patrick’s Day.

Key stat: Consumers have mixed feelings about frozen food. Half of US consumers think the freshness of frozen foods is worse than non-frozen counterparts, according to a March report from Ask Attest.

• However, 58% of US shoppers think frozen foods are more cost-effective than fresh food and 47% think frozen foods offer a better selection.
• 40% believe that frozen foods and fresh food have the same nutritional value.

Key stat: Dollar Tree’s reputation serves it well. Some 23.0% of consumers would consider buying from Dollar Tree for their next purchase and 16.0% believe it represents good value, according to recent data from YouGov.

• Dollar Tree outranks other discount retailers like Dollar General, Five Below, and Family Dollar in consideration and value.
• Foot traffic to Dollar Tree rose 1.1% YoY and 6.2% month-over-month in February 2025, according to data from Placer.ai.

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