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the load time and data usage of
ads, enabling dialogue with users
about advertising and reducing the
proportion of ad formats that are
considered intrusive. The second
report offers guidance on howmedia
companies can persuade users to
deactivate their ad blockers, for
example by detecting the software
in the first place, entering dialogue
with users about the content-for-
ads value exchange and carrying out
impact assessments.
A t h r e e s t e p p l a n t o
s t a r t s h i f t i n g t h e d i a l
o n a d b l o c k u s a g e
In the first step, achieved by the
end of August 2016, IAB Sweden
initiated the start of a three-month
data collection exercise to evaluate
the actual scale of ad blocking in
Sweden. In the second step, the IAB
has made a strong recommendation
that Swedish publishers implement
theaforementionedguidelinesby the
end of September; the organisation
will confer a seal of approval on
those that are in compliance. For
step three, the IAB recommends
that publishers initiate some form of
response to users with ad blockers
installed by the end of October, for
example with a message asking
them to deactivate the software on
their device or by preventing these
users from accessing content.
It should be noted that publishers’
participation in this initiative is
entirely voluntary, and no one is
being forced to follow any particular
course of action. Indeed, the IAB
recognises that while the Swedish
market is historically consensual
and relatively small, each publisher
has its own business model and
unique content to consider, and that
a pragmatic, inclusive approach is
needed to get as many as possible
engaged. The reaction of the market
has been extremely positive, and
most of the organisation’s members
are very willing to engage in these
steps in a unified effort to reduce the
negative impact of ad blocking.
Better media through coordinated
action
This is an example of an industry
working together to implement
improvements and to rebuild trust by
engaging and communicating with
the audience. Television and radio
are both increasingly dependent on
digital channels for distribution and
monetisation, and it is therefore vital
that on the one hand broadcasters
find the most acceptable advertising
formats to support their content
and that on the other hand the
consumer recognises the value
exchange and refrains from taking
actions that, perhaps unwittingly,
can do significant damage to the
very publishers whose content they
enjoy.
“Our initiative means
the industry is taking
the first steps in
working together to
find a sustainable
revenue model for
content, just the
fact that we have all
the media companies
on board is quite
remarkable. The
future must be about
improving the ad
product as well as
informing users about
the value exchange
between ads and
content in order to be
successful”
- - -
J a c o b L o v é n ,
B o a r d M e m b e r ,
I A B S w e d e n