Hey, big spender...

Don Draper would be thrilled.

Recent stats reported by Ad Age show that America's 100 biggest advertisers shelled out a record $109 billion on marketing last year, in a move that finally eclipses the amount of money spent before the economic crash in 2007.

These top brands increased their advertising budgets by an average 4.4%, with giant Procter & Gamble topping the list at just under $5 billion in 2013.

Anyone who owns a TV or looks at social media can testify that a big chunk of that ad spending comes from the financial services industry and insurance—heck, Geico alone has a veritable barnyard of ad campaign mascots in play. In fact, among Ad Age's ranking of the 25 most-advertised brands, there are five auto brands (led by Chevrolet), five retailers (topped by Macy's) and three insurers (with Geico far out front).

And yet the recently released “State of the American Consumer report” conducted by Gallup finds that advertising on social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter may not be as effective as marketers and those sites might like. The study shows that only 5% of American consumers say the ads have a big impact on their purchases. (And admit it: How often do you really click on pop-up ads on social media, no matter how cleverly targeted they are?)

Americans go to social media primarily to connect with friends and family—94% of respondents cited this as the main reason they used Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Other reasons cited were to share what you know (53%), get information about a company or organization (40%), find others with similar interests or careers (32%), play games (23%), or look for a job (22%).

But when it comes to actually making purchasing decisions, buyers are more influenced by old-school brand campaigns (window displays at brick-and-mortar retailers, TV commercials, even mail catalogs and magazines) than a company-sponsored Facebook page or Twitter feed, according to the Gallup study.

Of the roughly 18,500 respondents, 62% say they are not swayed at all by social media ads. Even the hotly pursued millennial audience, which was practically weaned on social media, find such advertising ho-hum. Although 50% of them say social media have some influence on their buying decision, 48% of them say they are not influenced at all—slightly more than the older generations.

And if you think millennials are cynical about social media advertising, wait'll you see the generation that's coming up behind them.

Marketers are already drawing a bead on “Generation Z,” born in the 1990s and raised in the 2000s. Today's 16- to 23-year-olds are already more than 11 million strong (7% of the North American workforce), a number that's expected to swell to 30 million by 2019, according to a study by RainMaker Thinking Inc. 

Among other things, Gen Zers: 

Want to change the world. Sixty percent of them want to have an impact on the world, compared to 39% of millennials, according to a study by marketing agency Sparks & Honey.

Are entrepreneurial. Seventy two percent of high school students want to start a business someday and 61% would rather be an entrepreneur than an employee after college, according to a study by Millennial Branding and Internships.com.

Are digitally over-connected. Gen Zers multitask across at least five screens daily and spend 41% of their time outside school with computers or mobile devices, according to Sparks & Honey.

Prefer to work independently. Millennials work well in teams and crave mentor feedback; Gen Z is “more about helping themselves,” according to Millennial Branding.

Lack brand loyalty. Gen Z is more concerned with the products themselves rather than the brands that produce them—and will switch brands in search of higher quality, according to Arkansas-based marketing agency Martin-Wilbourne Partners.

They're close to their families. In many cases, this is both literal and figurative—many Gen Zs live in multi-generational homes, as baby boomers age and move in with their kids.

They're fast communicators, often using emoticons and emojis instead of words. “They are accustomed to rapid-fire banter and commentary,” Sparks & Honey analysts wrote. “As a result, Gen Z are not precise communicators and leave a lot of room for interpretation.”

So, hey, big spenders—do you really think pumping up your ad budget, at least on social media, is going to attract the attention of these potential customers? I think not.

In fact, if the Gallup study is any indication, you might be better off buying a billboard. :-D