Looking On The Bright Side Of Adblocking

July 19th, 2016 | Matthew Chung, Manager, Communications and Content

Dr. Johnny Ryan
Dr. Johnny Ryan

Adblocking is going mobile.

According to figures from PageFair, a global authority on adblocking trends, at least 22% of the world’s 1.9 billion smartphone users are blocking ads on the mobile web. If this sounds like a large number, it’s because it is, and in-app blocking is now also a challenge.

At a recent ACA webinar, Dr. Johnny Ryan, Head of Ecosystem at PageFair, noted that while the majority of adblocking is concentrated in Asia-Pacific, the West is not immune to the threat.

(More than 200 million consumers are using browsers that block ads by default in Asia-Pacific, compared with 139,000 in Canada, according to PageFair research released in March.)

“The focus is clearly Asia-Pacific,” he said. “You could surmise that is because these are markets where people have slower devices, slow connections and data plans are very, very expensive.

“However what we’re seeing in the East is, I think, the emergence of a trend that will affect the West.”

WHY PEOPLE BLOCK ADS

Ryan said there are 5 primary reasons that people use adblockers.

  • Ads obscure content
  • Concerns about privacy
  • Can slow the loading of pages but also drain mobile data plans
  • Bandwidth
  • Because they can

THE GOOD NEWS

The good news, Ryan said, is that it is possible to publish ads today in a way that cannot be circumvented by adblockers. But does this mean publishers should re-insert ads that consumers have tried to block? Or ask adblock users to turn off their blocker to view content on a site, especially since between 60-90% will abandon the site? Ryan doesn’t think so.

This is the web as it was in 1995.

“What I see when I look at the web proxy to adblocking, is a virginal, pristine landscape,” he said. “With this ability to serve ads on this [ad-free] web, we have a momentous occasion to correct the mistakes of the last 20 years, which have resulted in concerns such as ad fraud and usability issues.”

On top of that, Ryan believes adblock users are perfect candidates to be receptive to ads. While a regular internet user has scarce attention, could be a bot and is faced with an abundance of ads, adblock users are definitely human, see few ads online and have plenty of attention. The trick is to give them ads they want to see.

Ryan says that adblockers surveyed by his company have said they are willing to accept certain types of ads. And it doesn’t sound like advertisers will need to reinvent the wheel:

  • 67% of those surveyed expressed a willingness to view text display
  • 67% expressed a willingness to view a still image
  • 61% expressed a willingness to view skippable pre-roll video.

Not-so-favourable formats included:

  • Popover
  • Non-skippable mid and pre-roll
  • Display ads with audio
  • Interstitial
  • Animated display

Ryan concluded with a reminder that there is a great opportunity on the blocked web, since it has no fraud or clutter. His advice to marketers looking to break through on the blocked web is to serve ad formats that solve consumers’ privacy, UX and security issues.

Like what you read here? ACA members can learn more by visiting the ACA Webinars archive and downloading the video recording of PageFair’s recent webinar on adblocking.