Author: 10404pwpadmin

10 facts about ad blocking users – Question #5: Where do ad blocking users live?

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The short answer to that question is…everywhere.

There are an absolutely astonishing number of ad blocking users worldwide. GlobalWebIndex—whose date we consulted when compiling our forthcoming study, “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ad Blocking Users”—has found that 47% of internet users globally users an ad blocker.

Yes: almost half of people online are blocking ads.

Over the span of 2017, the most recent year with a comprehensive record, 46% of North American internet users reported blocking ad displays in the last month. That percentage was similar in South America (45%) and slightly lower in Europe (40%). And an even higher percentage of users blocked ads in Africa and the Middle East and Asia-Pacific countries—47% and 50%, respectively.

City Vs. Country

But we weren’t content knowing where these ad blocking users lived in broader geographical terms. We wanted to know about their daily realities: if they lived in cities, suburbs, or rural areas.

Ad blocking users, as we’ve learned, are primarily urbanities, with 68.8% living in cities.

When they’re not living in the heart of populous communities, they’re living at the outskirts, with 21.1% in suburbs.

That doesn’t mean that the country-dwelling ad blocking user demographic should be discounted. 10.1% of ad blocking users live in rural areas.

But…why should you care? What does the location of somebody’s home say about them?

As it turns out, a lot.

Different population densities, different lifestyles

The differences between rural, suburban, and urban demographics are notable. We looked at Pew Social Trends to gain a little more knowledge about what makes an ad blocking user from Los Angeles—or an ad blocking user from Potter County, Pennsylvania—unique.

Here are some of the insights we uncovered:

Overall, the populations of urban areas are growing. Fast. And as they do, they’re becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. They’re also attracting a larger share of so-called “prime-age” workers, or those between 25 and 54.

Suburban areas are the fastest greying areas, with 39% more senior citizens living in the suburbs since the turn of the millennium. These areas show a lot of political diversity—the split between Democrats and Republicans is almost even.

The people who call rural areas home tend to stick around: 63% of rural dwellers have stayed in the same place for eleven or more years. They’re also close-knit: 33% report that all or most of their family members live within an hour’s drive of them.

As urban areas grow, it seems they’re not just attracting “prime-age” workers, but also ad blocking users—the demographic we at AAX are so preoccupied with.

To say that the team at AAX is interested in ad blocking users is an understatement. We’re fascinated.

So we decided to consult the mass trove of data that GlobalWebIndex (GWI) keeps about internet behavior in order to tease out some of the particularities of the group. We took our findings and compiled “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ad Blocking Users,” a study that peers into everything from where they live (which is what you just read about) to preferences for pets and beverages.

The study will be published on January 16, 2020.

New vendor registration to IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent Framework

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Today, AAX announced their approved status as the latest vendor to join IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent framework (or: the framework).

TCF, which was launched in April 2018, is designed to help all parties in the digital advertising chain ensure that they comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and ePrivacy Directive when processing personal data or accessing and/or storing information on a user’s device, such as cookies, advertising identifiers, device identifiers and other tracking technologies.

The Framework was developed by IAB Europe in collaboration with organisations and professionals in the digital advertising industry. It provides transparency to consumers about how—and by whom— their personal data is processed and enables users to express choices.

TCF enables vendors engaged in programmatic advertising to know ahead of time whether their and/or their partners’ transparency and consent status allows them to lawfully process personal data for online advertising and related purposes. Through the framework, publishers can continue funding themselves through relevant online advertising, and brands can continue to reach their audiences. And, most importantly, consumer privacy is protected the entire time.

The added registration of AAX to the framework further bolsters IAB Europe’s mission to raise the standard and trust in digital advertising across Europe. “AAX is excited to join IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent framework and help shape the future of the digital marketing and advertising ecosystem in Europe and equally protect consumer’s privacy,” said AAX CEO Frederick Leuschner.

Parties interested in joining the Framework to give audiences full visibility and control over who can process their data in connection with advertising, should visit https://advertisingconsent.eu/register/

10 facts about ad blocking users – Question #4: How do ad blocking users feel about pets?

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Urban Dictionary defines the phrase “catblock” as “the inability to perform a task because doing so would involve moving a contented cat.” (Used in a sentence: We were trying to use the laptop, but Mr. McMittens was catblocking.)

But Mr. McMittens isn’t the only feline devoted to the art of catblocking, especially since the name Catblock also refers to an extension that replaces ads with—you got it—pictures of adorable kitties.

The project started out as an April Fool’s joke back in 2012. AdBlock had rolled out the now-famous CatBlock to fill users screens with that standard of early-10’s digital humor: LOLcats. On April 1st, a marmalade LOLCat addressed users—Ohai AdBlock yoozurs—and everyone was smitten.

CatBlock was supposed to disappear by April 4th, relegated to the dustbin of digital history. But people clamored for more cats, and CatBlock became available to users willing to pay a fee for a standalone version.

Or, as the marmalade LOLCat put it, I can haz money nao?

Later, in 2014, with the misspelled musings of LOLCats no longer the peak of lols, CatBlock became open-source.

So: how do ad blocking users feel about pets?

Strongly.

They love them. In fact, 75% of ad blocking users share their home with at least one furry, feathery, or scaly family member.

The data suggests that they might be primed for DogBlock, since 36.4% of ad blocking users are firmly dog people.

But the cat people—all those users horrified by the idea of CatBlock disappearing after April Fool’s Day—have a strong representation. 29% report having a kittie at home.

10.4% of ad blocking users have branched out beyond the cat/dog binary, perhaps preferring to install an extension called BunnyBlock, GoldfishBlock, ParrotBlock, IguanaBlock, or maybe even TarantulaBlock.

Less than a quarter of users have opted not to adopt a pet. Or maybe this 24.2% represents the percentage of users stuck in pet-free rental contacts, spending weekends volunteering at the animal shelter or saving up pennies for a bit of farmland where the name “HorseBlock” refers to fences.

To say that the team at AAX is interested in ad blocking users is an understatement. We’re fascinated.

So we decided to consult the mass trove of data that GlobalWebIndex (GWI) keeps about internet behavior in order to tease out some of the particularities of the group. We took our findings and compiled “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ad Blocking Users,” a study that peers into everything from pet preference (which is what you just read about) to content purchasing preferences and where they stand on the great city vs. country debate.

The study will be published on January 16, 2020.

10 facts about ad blocking users – Question #3: Do ad blockers block brand discovery?

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The short (and the long) answer? No.

Every customer journey—no matter whether the map exhibits a straight, highway-like line or a meandering set of loop-de-loops—starts out with the act of brand discovery.

Discovery might sound like a light bulb moment, the kind of action that results in a big “Aha!” but it’s more process than flash of inspiration. Think of the in-depth archeological process that lead to opening King Tut’s tomb, rather than the instant the sarcophagus is revealed.

And it comes to brand discovery, the archeologist is the customer and the reveal is, as reporter Lisa Lacy phrases it, “what he or she does not know he or she wants.” Ads are what unites a customer and that elusive “what he or she does not know he or she wants.”

Ad blocking users are more likely than non- ad blocking users to find out about new products online

An understandable fear is that ad blockers stand in the way of brand discovery, and that users who have elected to put a barrier between themselves and the world of advertising will never experience the understanding of what he or she wants.

But luckily that fear is unfounded.

In fact, the data shows that ad blocking users are more likely to discover brands than those users who don’t user an ad blocker in three major ways: on websites, via stories and articles on newspaper or magazine websites, and ads seen on any online activity (e.g. apps and websites).

  • 25.6% of ad blocking users find out about new products on websites, versus 23.9% of non- ad blocking users
  • When it comes to ads seen on all online activity—including mobile and apps—nearly 30% of ad blocking users report brand discovery. Non- ad blocking users lag by a percentage point.
  • 16.1% of ad blocking users discover brands via online articles, compared to 12.6% of non- ad blocking users
Selective ad blocking users are the most primed for discovery

But both ad blocking users and non- ad blocking users lag behind so-called selective ad blocking users, a name that refers to the nearly 200 million users who have blocked ads in the past month, but who discover brands or products through ads seen online and have clicked on an online ad in the past month.

One method that selective ad blocking users use is now commonly referred to as ad filtering, which allows users to see unobtrusive, respectful forms of advertisement. These are “Acceptable Ads”—one that fit the criteria set forth by the independent Acceptable Ads Committee.

And these users are champion brand discoverers.

23.6% of selective ad blocking users discover new products via online newspaper or magazine articles. That’s more than 7 percentage points more than ad blocking users.

But the difference is even starker when it comes to website and online ads.

  • 59.7% of selective ad blocking users discover brands on websites. That’s more than twice as likely as ad blocking users and 2.5 times as likely as non-ad blocking users.
  • 64.8% of selective ad blocking users learn about new brands via online activity including apps and websites. Again, that’s more than twice as likely as ad blocking and non- ad blocking users.

The act of brand discovery is a process rather than a sudden revelation. But the discovery of this data feels a bit like a light bulb coming on. Selective ad blocking users’ finding out about new brands might not happen in a flash of inspiration, but we find this information absolutely inspirational.

To say that the team at AAX is interested in ad blocking users is an understatement. We’re fascinated.

So we decided to consult the mass trove of data that GlobalWebIndex (GWI) keeps about internet behavior in order to tease out some of the particularities of the group. We took our findings and compiled “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ad Blocking Users,” a study that peers into everything from digital content purchasing (which is what you just read about) to preferences for pets and real estate.

The study will be published on January 16, 2020.

10 facts about ad blocking users – Question #2: What digital content do ad blocking users purchase?

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It’s pretty hard to find optimistic news about digital content purchasing.

The headlines usually run the spectrum of discouragement, from “Will more people pay for content? It doesn’t look likely” to “The media has a big problem, Reuters Institute says: Who will pay for the news?”

But it’s not an entirely gloomy outlook, especially when you look at two key demographics: ad blocking users and selective ad blocking users.

These users, as it turns out, are enthusiastic purchasers of digital content.

Who are ad blocking users? Who are selective ad blocking users?

Before examining the hard data, let’s define just who comprises these demographics.

Who exactly are ad blocking users? That name refers to the one billion users worldwide who have an ad blocker installed on their device.

The descriptor “selective ad blocking users” refers to the nearly 200 million users who have blocked ads in the past month, but who discover brands or products through ads seen online and have clicked on an online ad in the past month.

One method that selective ad blocking users use is now commonly referred to as ad filtering, which allows users to see unobtrusive, respectful forms of advertisement. These are “Acceptable Ads”—one that fit the criteria set forth by the independent Acceptable Ads Committee.

A third demographic, non- ad blocking users, are those users who don’t have an ad blocker installed on their device.

Demographics primed for digital content
  • During the last month, 8.7% of ad blocking users have paid for subscription to an online version of a magazine, compared to only 5.2% of non-ad blocking user.
  • And in that same time frame, 10.3% of ad blocking users have paid for a digital news service versus 7.1% of non- ad blocking users.

But it’s the selective ad blocking users—those who consent to see some advertisements through initiatives like Acceptable Ads—who are the highest purchasers of online magazines and news services.

In fact, selective ad blocking users are approximately twice as likely to have made digital content purchases in the last month than non- ad blocking users.

  • 12% of selective ad blocking users have a subscription to an online version of a magazine.
  • 13.4% of selective ad blocking users pay for a news service

There’s also the matter of digital gifts: 11.5% of selective ad blocking users and 8.1% ad blocking users have made a digital gift purchase in the last month, compared with 5% of non-ad blocking users.

It looks like we’ve found an answer to give to the Reuters Institute: Who will pay for the news? Ad blocking users.

To say that the team at AAX is interested in ad blocking users is an understatement. We’re fascinated.

So we decided to consult the mass trove of data that GlobalWebIndex (GWI) keeps about internet behavior in order to tease out some of the particularities of the group. We took our findings and compiled “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ad Blocking Users,” a study that peers into everything from digital content purchasing (which is what you just read about) to preferences for pets and real estate.

The study will be published on January 16, 2020.

10 facts about ad blocking users – Question #1: Why do you use an ad blocker?

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To say that the team at AAX is interested in ad blocking users is an understatement. We’re fascinated.

So we decided to consult the mass trove of data that GlobalWebIndex (GWI) keeps about internet behavior in order to tease out some of the particularities of the group. We took our findings and compiled “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ad Blocking Users,” a study that peers into everything from the reason for ad block use (which is what you’re about to read about) to preferences for pets and real estate.

The study will be published on January 16, 2020.

Why Ad Blocking?

A massive section of the human population has decided to put up a barrier between themselves and advertising: approximately one billion people worldwide use ad blockers.

But sheer size isn’t the only thing that sets ad blocking users apart. Ad blockers make up a unique, highly engaged demographic…a demographic that just happens to be approximately as large as the population of India.

Doc Searls was right: it is the biggest boycott in human history.

So, when we started doing research on ad block users, our very first query was…why block ads?

Articles on ad blocking often focus on complicated causes. In a piece for The Guardian titled “Why we use ad blockers: we need to have more control over what we’re exposed to,” Tom Stevens interviewed ad blockers whose motivation ranged from limiting impulse buying to vertigo due to strobe-lit pop-ups.

But while articles like Stevens’ are thorough looks into the intricate particulars of ad blocking, our research led us to understand that the main underlying reason is much simpler:

There are too many ads on the internet.

For most people, it was sheer quantity that prompted the move to ad blocking. Ads in moderation were tolerable; an unending stream of ads was not.

But other reasons for making the choice to block ads were almost as popular. The next most popular reasons for using an ad blocker?

Too many ads are annoying or irrelevant.

Ads are intrusive.

This encompasses the pop-ups, the glittery dancing icons, the loud buzzers, the shimmering panels that inform you that there are singles in your area, the all caps screaming. Users don’t enjoy the accompanying sensory overload, and resent having to close tabs or train their vision away from flashing images.

The last trio of reasons encompasses a more niche set of concerns related to harm and the surfing experience:

Ads take up too much screen space.

Ads sometimes contain viruses or bugs.

To speed up page loading time.

These reasons speak to the worry of ads being overwhelming and compromised, rather than the content of the ads themselves. Ads, this section of ad blocking users seems to fear, aren’t regulated.

Check back for our next post on ad blocking user insights, where we’ll be tackling the question of digital content purchasing.

Is there a place in the market right now for mid-tier publishers?

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Dispatches from AdMonsters Publisher Forum Scottsdale.

The first morning at AdMonsters Publishers Forum, Scottsdale was hardly an average Monday-in-November slog.

For one thing, half of the audience and speakers were walking around with stunned grins. These attendees, in from the Midwest or East Coast, were exhilarated by the Arizona warmth and brightness.

And even inside, where sunshine is replaced by stage lights, the mood was alert. All eyes were on the packed Chairman’s Corner, where Jim Egan, VP Publisher Development Integral Ad Science talked with AdMonsters Chairman Rob Beeler on “Shifting From Brand Safety to Brand Sustainability.”

In a conversation that addressed the issue of how publishers can avoid being left out in the cold, Egan touched on current events—including the recent trend in publisher consolidation.

“A lot of what we would consider mid-tier publishers are shacking up: Vox Media and New York Media and Vice Media and Refinery 29,” he said. “And that really makes me wonder: is there a place in the market right now for mid-tier publishers? Or is it going to be all big guys and all small guys?”

Rob Beeler weighed in, mentioning what he referred to as the recent “Deadspin tweetstorms.”

One tweet that stuck out to him was suggested that all the former Deadspin editors should “go and start their own sports website.” It’s an idealistic notion, says Beeler, but fails to grapple with the fact that “starting a website at zero, with zero brand around it and going up to where it was? That doesn’t exist right now.”

It’s an ever-changing landscape, and the discussion addressed the fact that the divide between advertisers and publishers is widening, especially in a climate where blocking has become more prevalent. One of the most important issues, agreed Beeler and Egan, is sustainability.

AAX joined the discussion at the following day’s “Question the Tech” Q & A session, where we also addressed questions of sustainability in publishing and readership alike, touching on how certain users are beginning to understand what’s needed to ensure that their favorite publisher continues to exist and thrive.

Check out the full Q & A below.

Why would an ad blocking user agree to see… ads?

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The short answer? It’s a way to actively support the free web.

The long answer? That involves the demographics of ad blocking users, their commitment to journalism and publishing, and the types of ads they want to block.

We’re going to tackle all of that.

“A Very Savvy Demographic”

Tim Cronin, AAX VP of Sales, used the opportunity of speaking at Digiday Publishing Summit, Budapest to describe just who ad blocking users are.

“They’re a very savvy demographic,” he said. “They’re younger, they’re well-educated, they’re tech savvy, and they index high for consuming media.”

The numbers prove it: US-American ad blocking users, 64% of whom are under the age of forty-five, are 1.5x more likely than the average American to have a bachelor’s degree. And that number goes up to 3x when only the 18-24 year olds are considered. (Source)

These young, well-educated ad blocking users not only enjoy consuming media, but they have an understanding of the value of media. For example, they’re more likely to pay for online subscriptions to magazines and news services than their non-ad blocking counterparts. (GlobalWebIndex, 2019)

“The Value of a Free Press”

All of the factors that make the ad blocking demographic unique—age, education, and interest in participating in the value exchange of online media—coalesce around the question of publishers.

The desire for content access is matched by a growing understanding that ad revenue helps keep publishers’ lights on. Publishers have become vocal about the fact that ad revenue is what allows them to hire talent, create content, and maintain a high standard of quality.

Websites often suggest that browsers subscribe or donate in order to keep browsing. And this tactic seems to have been moderately successful: 15% of users are willing to either pay for the content they enjoy or donate money directly.

Another tactic is suggesting that users turn off their ad blockers. This is successful approximately one-third of the time: 31% would be fine with seeing ads in order to support websites. This includes writer Mark Wilson, who asserts he doesn’t install an ad blocker because he “cares about the value of a free press.”

The vast majority of users also care about the value of a free press, but they’re still concerned about the nature of ads being served. 68% agree with the statement “I’m fine with seeing ads, but only if they’re not annoying.”

As Tim Cronin puts it, “[Ad blocking users] need their favorite publishers to continue to exist. If they don’t subscribe, they’re willing to receive unobtrusive ads.”

“They Just Hate Certain Types of Ads”

When users were asked which ads they considered annoying, they overwhelmingly spoke of pop-ups and video ads. These are the ones that users “dislike”—according to the 2018 Hubspot Survey “Why People Block Ads, and What It Means For Marketers and Advertisers,” a full 73% of users disapproved of pop-ups.

When this is compared to percentage of users who disliked magazine and print ads (18%) and billboard ads (21%), it becomes apparent that it’s not the fact of the ad itself that’s annoying.

With ads, the medium is the message. A static, text-and-image ad is respectful. A glittery pop-up, however? That’s obnoxious

At Digiday Budapest, Tim Cronin summarized the relationship between ad blocking users and ads: “Ad blocking users don’t hate all ads. They just hate certain types of ads—the ones that feel intrusive.”

The banner ad celebrates its 25th birthday

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A quarter of a century ago, the haunting melodies on The Cranberries’ No Need To Argue were rapidly going multiple platinum. Theaters were corralling lines of moviegoers eager to see Pulp Fiction. Children and adults alike were a) wearing head-to-toe sunflower print and b) buying investment Beanie Babies by the dozen.

And on the home computer—that blocky behemoth that took up a corner of the living room—things were rapidly evolving.

Once you got past the chirping whirr of the dial-up, you could order delivery pizza online…as long as you lived in Santa Cruz, California, that is. Webcrawler could connect you to one of a staggering 4,000 websites using the power of full text search.

And on October 27, 1994, the world’s first banner ad appeared on HotWired.com.

It’s not a moment that a lot of people think of with fond nostalgia. In fact, the banner ad is often thought of annoying at best, damaging at worst.

But Mat Bennett, Co-Founder of OKO, suggests celebrating the existence of the banner ad. He also suggests spending a moment thinking of how banner ads have shaped and improved the browsing experience for users worldwide.

In an opinion piece for The Drum, he writes:

“Ads support the online content we consume. Without advertising to support online business, it is estimated that the average American internet users would need to pay $420 per year to pay for those ad-supported services. That is a lot of value that variations of banner ads currently contribute a very large proportion of. Whilst a small proportion of users might be happy to pay that sum to avoid banner ads, reducing that to a dollar value greatly undersells the benefits of providing that value without a cost to the end-user.

The biggest of those benefits is the democracy that a free, ad-supported web offers. A banner, or the page serving it, doesn’t care whether you are prince or pauper when you access ad supported content. I’m not aware of any website that restricts content based on the bids they receive for an impression, so banners and other digital advertising work not only to keep content free but to keep it open to all.

The idea of an ad-free “pay to play” internet also ignores the practicalities of that. Whilst some users might be willing to pay for an ad-free experience on the sites they access daily, the model falls apart when it comes to the long tail of the web. The website that settles a pub argument, a local forum of the town you are visiting, the odd niche site that explains your child’s maths homework problem to you and the thousands of other sites we use but have no need to return to.

These sites don’t fit a subscription model and are even more reliant on the pennies that arrive through banner impressions. That vibrant, independent, free and open long tail that exists outside of corporate ownership only continues to do so thanks to the humble banner ad.

We want to echo Bennett and say thanks to the humble banner ad.  And on October 27th we’ll put on a ridiculous party hat, eat some sheet cake, and belt out “Happy Birthday To You” in honor of the banner ad.

What are Acceptable Ads? A crash course

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The AAX team attended the Digiday Publishing Summit in Key Biscayne Florida with a particular mission: instead of talking about AAX, we wanted to take a step back and discuss the Acceptable Ads initiative.

But in order to get the full picture, and understand how ad blockers have, over the years, evolved into ad filterers, we need to start at the beginning.

How Did We Get Here?

What are the causes of ad blocking? If you ask an ad blocker, you’ll usually hear something along the lines of “There are too many ads.”

But when you dig deep, exploring the causes of these “too many ads,” you’ll find the culprit is a supply and demand imbalance that has long posed a challenge to premium publishers.

What happens in a marketplace when there’s a supply and demand imbalance is that the seller—in this case, the publisher—finds themselves in a weakened position. That means that the buyer, the advertiser, moves into a position of strength. This has lead to a squeeze on the publisher: the publisher has to serve more ads, bigger ads, and more intrusive ads.

It was exactly this dynamic that lead to a dramatic increase in ad blockers.

Ad blocking is the Biggest Boycott In Human History– Doc Searls

At a conference like Digiday Publishing, ad blocking is always the elephant in the room. And in this case it’s not just a question of standing out. It’s also a question of sheer size: the scope of ad blocking is massive.

  • One billion people worldwide use ad blockers.
  • In the USA, a publisher can expect 15-20% of their visitors to have an ad blocker.
  • In places like Germany and France, the percentage ad blocking visitors reaches 45%.

These numbers are astounding.

But there’s another number to consider: 90% of ad blockers users can receive ads.

Solutions To Ad Blocking and Benefits To Publishers

When an ad blocker is installed, the ad block user is given an option: to opt in and consent to be served acceptable ads. The fact that 90% choose this option speaks to the fact that ad block users don’t hate all ads—just the kind of invasive, flashy ads that prompted the mass boycott of ad blocking.

It also speaks to the particulars of the ad blocking demographic. These users are young, highly educated, tech savvy, and index high for consuming media online. In other words, they understand the balance of the ecosystem relies on advertising, and that a browsing experience can actually be augmented by the presence of respectful, non-intrusive ads—by the presence, in other words, of Acceptable Ads.

The criteria for what determines an Acceptable Ad is defined by the Acceptable Ads Committee, a fully independent third party committee made up of industry insiders, privacy organizations, users, consumers, publishers. The criteria is straightforward: an ad can be deemed Acceptable if it

  • is a static banner instead of an animated banner
  • there is no video present
  • the ads don’t represent more than 15% above the fold…
  • …or 25% below the fold

Ultimately, what the Acceptable Ads initiative—along with AAX, an ad exchange that serves only Acceptable Ads—is committed to is achieving is a balance between consumer experience, browsing experience, and content monetization.