Google Sets Advertising Standards To Help Combat Ad Blocking

Ad blocking software is on the rise worldwide and one of the key companies in the world of online advertising is getting into the conflict over it. Google is now trying to set standard to find a way for content creators, advertisers and audiences to get along.

The economic impact of this technology is massive. Per a report from Adobe and PageFair, the year 2015 saw 22 billion dollars in lost advertising revenue due to ad blocking. In just one year, that loss increased by 41 percent and the breakneck speed with which ad blockers are spreading is not letting up in 2016. The ad blockers are a business as well, making some money off their services.

This is why Google is using its significant influence and power with publishers and advertisers to help set standards for “acceptable” ads. There is no doubt that the complicated, intrusive ad units from some sites, particularly in the mobile space, have led to the increased use of ad blocking software. At TechCrunch DisruptNY, Google’s senior vice president of ads and commerce, Sridhar Ramaswamy, noted that slowing down page loads drives users to us ad-blocking. The company is saying it has no choice but to step in and help come up with a way to resolve this problem.

While the majority of Google’s businesses run on advertising dollars, Ramaswamy believes that the future holds options where audiences would have choices to watch ads, pay a few pennies to experience content and have clear information about how much data the content provider has on them. Either way, the industry giant has a vested interest in helping users have a positive experience with content without losing the monetization component.

Sridhar Ramaswamy of Google on shifting to mobile first #TCDisrupt https://t.co/e2m3OkE8NA

— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) May 10, 2016

Ad Blocking Drives New Standards

Google wants to set standards, for which they have not really outlined a methodology yet, but they know they cannot simply impose them on the industry. Other voices are also trying to help. Last year, the Interactive Advertising Bureau made an effort to introduce LEAD (Light, Encrypted, AdChoices-supporting, and Non-invasive), a series of principles for advertisers to follow for an improved user experience. They have now also set up scoring guidelines for publishers that could be used with Google’s eventual suggestions to set overall industry standards. The industry has reacted in a variety of ways, from simplifying the ad experience to directly asking users to turn the software off, to complete inaction.

Some ad blocking software actually has a threshold for “acceptable” ads, which they let through. Yet, there is no easy way to force them to play nice with IAB or Google ads. Where Google can flex its muscle is on YouTube, its DoubleClick ad network and even its own search site. If it can find a happy medium between user experience and value adds for publishers, Google’s standards can gain acceptance that could lead to more ‘acceptable’ ads all around.

What Does This Mean for Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing remains an immediate and powerful way to deliver branded messages in an era of ad blocking. If brand messages are integrated into content from social media creators that audiences have opted to follow, they don’t appear as ads that can be blocked. Furthermore, if brands work exclusively with creators that are their ideal Brand Soulmates, the creators can protect their authenticity and only discuss products they truly love. This improves the chances for higher engagement, driving earned media value and real ROI .

While ad blocking is expected to help bring about large changes in the way content is delivered and paid for in the future, influencer marketing can help combat this issue right now and deliver experiences that audiences won’t want to block out.