Are you a mobile publisher worried about ad blocking? CEO of the IAB + other media companies offer their opinions …
If you’re a mobile publisher trying to monetize an already challenging platform for digital magazines, no two words strike more fear into your heart than “ad blocking.”
Ad blocking programs are not some flash in the pan gimmick that’s fading with time; they’re proliferating, and gaining in popularity with key demographics for audience development (ie, Millennials and other young consumers). How damaging a potential pitfall they are when it comes to digital ad revenue remains to be seen, but some in the mobile publisher market are bracing for a big hit. Others are biding their time, while still others are planning some blocking of their own, in the form of possible litigation.
But is it all a case of much “ad”-o about nothing?
The Wall Street Journal’s CMO Today blog recently checked in with media companies about the wrath of ad blocking, and they also interviewed the head of the Interactive Advertising Bureau to find out his thoughts. Let’s see what they had to say.
How Big Is the Mobile Publisher Ad Blocking Problem?
Well, apparently we have nothing to worry about – yet!
That’s the consensus among the executives CMO Today interviewed about the mobile publisher ad blocking problem. Even as mobile apps specializing in ad blocking programs “pop up” all over the place, many publishers – including AOL, The Awl, Business Insider, CBS, The Daily Meal, Evolve Media, Univision – have seen little impact on traffic.
But that’s not keeping some from making some preparations and taking some precautions, CMO Today reports. From refocusing overall ad strategy to giving ecommerce content strategy a try, publishers are ready for the next phase of the digital media evolution.
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IAB CEO on Ad Blocking Programs, Ad Viewability, and More
For that matter, so, too, is the Interactive Advertising Bureau – even if it’s survival of the fittest.
“There is a real issue. I’m not worried because the marketing and media value chain has shown remarkable resilience. There is a natural human need to have businesses proposition you with goods and services and vice versa. You need to have that communication. I’m really not worried about whether advertising will be able to find its way through digital channels. I am concerned – very, very concerned – that costs of ads will go up and up and up from this unethical obstruction,” CEO Randall Rothenberg told CMO Today.
“I’m not happy about browser makers offering up ready-made accessibility to unethical software providers. I think that’s foolhardy and harmful to consumers. Advertising supports an enormous amount of content on the Web, and browser makers are basically telling consumers that their costs are going up, they may have to pay for more content, because a bunch of browser makers are more concerned with competing with each other than helping consumers.”
Gauging the iOS 9 Mobile Publisher Impact
One of those browsers is Safari, as CMO Today points out, and much of this debate has been intensified by the recent release of Apple’s new mobile operating system, which allows for the aforementioned ad blocking apps. At the same time, Apple News will carry advertising, and if publishers sell the ads, they can keep all of the revenue.
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To read more mobile publisher news, visit The Wall Street Journal’s CMO Today.
