Posted: 2015.09.25

With the proliferation of information, media, and entertainment available to consumers on the web, it is no surprise that providers have rushed to find ways to further monetize what they offer to users.

Unlike with traditional forms of media, however, the web has given consumers a way to strike back and avoid ads. Ad blocking software allows internet surfers to block out advertisements. This of course causes a lot of problems for companies looking to get their products in front of consumers, and for people looking to monetize things such as YouTube videos, blogs, or other web content. According to the Association of National Advertisers, it requires a "delicate" solution.

A growing problem for internet commerce

Although ad blockers are nothing new, it has only been in recent times that advertisers have begun to really worry about them. According to a study conducted by Pagefair, a company that helps companies circumvent ad blockers, anti-ad technology has cost the industry approximately 22 billion dollars. Not only is this a problem in the short term for companies' revenue, but it also raises concerns about the future of the internet. Could it be that information will begin to get locked away and horded by companies to shield it from consumers who can't afford to pay or don't want to?

The fight against being invasive

The new generation of consumers is vastly different than that of past generations. Young consumers of today do not want invasive ads that get in the way of their experience. That is why so many companies have switched over to non-invasive storytelling methods to try and entice customers with something that is useful to them, rather than throw an ad in their face to get them to buy something.

With major studies showing a 50% advantage in lead generation for inbound marketing as opposed to outbound, it is clear that the former is the best way to approach advertising. But what if people still don't want to watch the ads? Companies don't want to fight back against ad blockers and force people to watch ads because this will do nothing but turn them off to the product. In fact, it could have the exact opposite of the desired effect. You don't want to pay for an ad that makes a customer hate your company.

CIS can help

As the ANA has said, it is about finding a delicate solution - a balance between forcing people to watch ads, and still being able to run them. With the insight that our in-store surveys provide, you can find ways to market things to customers that they actually want, and provide them with a more unique tailor-made experience that won't make them use anti-ad software. By better understanding your target demographics, we can help you strike that balance between not turning the customer away, and still being able to run profitable ads.

Modern advertising on the internet is at a crossroads. The rise in ad blocking software is making it increasingly difficult for advertisers to run ads that help them turn a profit. Fighting back against this may only serve to turn more consumers away. The only way to proceed is by using in-depth market research to help find the balance between being too invasive, and not invasive enough to be profitable.