Ad Giants Club Together to Combat Blocking

A new body supported by major corporations and ad associations will seek to 'improve consumers' experience with online advertising', basing its strategy on consumer research and aiming to counter the rise of ad blocking.

Founding members of the 'Colaition for Better Ads' include Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Google, WPP's GroupM and The Washington Post (now owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos). Trade bodies represented include the IAB, US ad organisations the 4As and the ANA, the DMA and the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA).

The Coalition's strategy has three planks: firstly, formulating 'consumer-based, data-driven standards' for agencies, brands and ad tech firms; developing technology to help marketers implement these standards; and then build awareness of the standards among consumers and companies, both to encourage take-up and to elicit feedback.

IAB President and CEO Randall Rothenberg said in a statement: 'It is essential that industry create standards to assure that consumers get safe, fast, secure delivery of the sites and services they love'. He added: 'Advertising funds the diversity of information, entertainment, and services on the free Internet, but that doesn't give business a license to abuse the good will of consumers'.

ANA Chairman and CEO Bob Liodice says founding the campaign on consumer research is in line with the approach traditionally taken by brands, which identify, and then try to meet, customer needs; while 4A's President and CEO Nancy Hill says the rise of ad blocking indicates there is much room for improvement in the online consumer experience.

Stephan Loerke, CEO of the WFA, said at the launch: 'Ads support free content, quality journalism and enable social connections across the Internet. But people are telling us they are fed up with how ads are being delivered on their favourite sites. We hear that message loud and clear'.

Thanks to the IAB, WARC and Marketing Week for some of the above.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.