Tag: ad tech

Ad blocking users feel the need for speed.

They’re fans of motorsports in general but, when asked what sports they following and regularly watch, 19% of ad blocking users named Formula 1 and 11.4% of ad blocking users brought up MotorGP. These proved more popular than competitors like NASCAR or IndyCar.

So: ad blocking users like watching fast cars careening around a track. That much is clear. But what might this interest say about their general personalities, likes, dislikes, and quirks?

No one has done a psychological deep dive into the world of motorsports enthusiasts. But plenty of motorsports enthusiasts have written extensively about what their passion means for them…and why they think other people should adopt their favorite hobby.

A Wired article that affectionately calls Formula 1 “the geekiest sport this side of the Quiddich Cup,” suggests that crucial reasons for watching motorsports include the facts that the engineering is as vital as the athletics and that stunning science and cutting-edge tech is on display.

The unapologetic fans over at The Bleacher Report cite the sport’s “incredibly deep, strong pool of talent” as a reason for tuning in, are thrilled that “every single one of the cars is a masterpiece,” and claim that it’s one of the few sporting events where the gimmicks add to, rather than detract from, the overall spectacle.

And, of course, the Verge’s article “In Formula 1, You Have To Be Amazing Just To Be Average,” doubles down on the fact that some jaw-dropping action occurs on the track.

And, while there’s no directly mapping the correlation between motorsports enthusiasm and personality traits, we can make a few inferences.

Motorsports fans are connoisseurs. They appreciate the fact that there’s no average— only amazing—in the world of Formula 1. They clearly respect the presence of that “deep pool of talent,” which means that everyone, from the engineers to the drivers, are on the top of their respective games.

Motorsports fans like the details. Sure, you can call this geekiness (like Wired does) but we prefer to read motorsports fans’ attention to every aspect of the event as exhibiting keen-eyed, comprehensive curiosity.

Motorsports fans are tech savvy. You don’t fall in love with Formula 1, it seems, unless you enjoy learning about the engineering, science, and mind-bogglingly nuanced tech that crafts the sport.

In fact, this list supports a few things we know about the ad blocking user demographic: a population of engaged, educated, professional thinkers who tend to spend a healthy amount of their time engaging with technology.

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 what motorsports they enjoy (which is what you just read about) to preferences for digital content purchasing and frequency of exercise.

The study will be published on January 16, 2020.

Your drink order, it seems, could be the key to unlocking your personality.

Bartenders reveal what customers’ drink orders say about them, proclaims a Business Insider article. The bartenders in question explain that you’ll look “immature” if you order an overly-sweet drink. Over at Vice, an article claims to have “developed a preternatural ability to determine people’s personalities based on what they drink.” Do you like ale? You might be an oddball.

Baristas have also gotten into personality analysis, suggesting that latte-drinkers are “reflective but indecisive” and an iced coffee order means you’re “assertive and outspoken.”

In fact, the beverage-as-window-to-your-soul trend has extended to all drinks. There are quizzes titled “What Your Favorite Soda Says About You,” “What Your Choice of Tea Says About You” and—yes—”What Your Choice of Milkshake Says About You.”

And while we think it might be a bit of a stretch to say that all strawberry milkshake lovers “take being loyal to new levels,” we agree that you can infer a (little) bit about a human from their sipping preference.

Ad blockers prefer caffeine to alcohol

According to our findings, ad blocking users—the 47% of global users who have an ad blocker installed on their device—are tea lovers first and foremost. This is followed by coffee as the second most consumed beverage.

• 91.5% of ad blocking users drank tea in the last month

• 89.3% of ad blocking users drank coffee in the last month

The third most popular beverage was also a pick-me-up: 68.8% of ad blocking users consumed energy drinks like Red Bull or Monster in the last month.

Ad blocking users drank comparatively little alcohol, with 68.4% consuming at least one beer per month, 64.5% drinking wine, and only 45% drinking spirits like whiskey.

Effect on the brain: caffeine vs. alcohol

While we’re not going to make any daring beverage-based claims—although who knows? maybe strawberry milkshake lovers really are loyal to a fault—these figures inspired us to look into the effects of the two most popular drinkable substances: alcohol and caffeine.

It’s hardly surprising to report that caffeine increases productivity. That’s why so many of us fumble for the coffee pot first thing in the morning: we want to feel that jolt of alertness.

But we were impressed by just how much caffeine actually does.

• Not only does caffeine enhance short-term memory, but it can work to improve memory as we age, while lowering the risk of developing Parkinson’s, colon cancer, and Type 2 diabetes.

• Caffeine increases all of the following: the ability to solve problems requiring reasoning, the ability to focus and concentrate, energy availability and daily expenditure. (Source)

Alcohol, on the other hand, works as a depressant. It’s true that mild alcohol consumption can enhance creative cognition, although “drinking heavily when trying to do anything that requires extreme focus, information processing, clear judgment and memory…might be counterproductive.”

We’re not saying that ad blocking users love of lattes means they’re reflective, or that their English breakfast tea habit means they’re “classy.” But what ad blocking users might lose in terms of occasional bursts of creativity, they make up for with reaping the benefits of enhanced memory and abilities.

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 what they like drinking (which is what you just read about) to preferences for digital content purchasing and frequency of exercise.

The study will be published on January 16, 2020.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.