This is a question that is of immense value to marketers. A recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive, in association with social and mobile advertising platform MediaBrix, attempts to understand how people relate to ads that they see online in applications and games on Facebook, and in mobile applications. They polled 2,236 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, in July 2012, and the key learnings from the study are as follows:

• 33% of Facebook users have used an app on the social network in the past year, and 65% have played a game on Facebook during that time period.
• 28% of Facebook app users prefer to see standard banner ads in Facebook apps and 72% prefer to see ‘immersive and interactive’ ad units.
• 37% of Facebook app users prefer to be shown pre-roll ads in Facebook apps and 63% prefer to either initiate the video ad or have it shown during a natural break in the game or app.
• 40% of smartphone owners prefer to see standard banner ads in mobile apps and 60% prefer to see immersive and integrated ad units in mobile apps.
• 38% of smartphone owners prefer to be shown pre-roll video ads in mobile apps and 62% prefer either to initiate the video ad or have it shown during a natural break in the game or app.

• 87% of Facebook app users prefer free Facebook apps versus 13% that prefer paid apps that contain no advertising. Of those Facebook app users that prefer free Facebook apps, 83% prefer to keep apps free with relevant advertising that appears during natural breaks in the game or app and 17% prefer to keep apps free by making in-app purchases, including virtual goods or virtual currency.