Dive Brief:
- Ad-blocking software is expected to be a leading topic at the 12th annual Advertising Week conference happening this week in New York City.
- The conference will also address the impact of streaming services, piracy and fraud, as well as emerging strategies such as branded emoji and location-based targeting.
Dive Insight:
Ad-blocking will dominate discussion at the 12th annual Advertising Week, an annual conference that brings together thousands of marketers and advertising outlets in New York City. Apple’s embrace of ad-blocking software has suddenly spurred consumer interest and an explosion in the number of startups offering it.
With digital ad spend expected to grow to $58.1 billion this year, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) will stage a panel discussion to assess the reasons behind ad blocking’s growing popularity and the threat it poses to digital media. Use of ad-blocking software grew 69% worldwide from 2013 to 2014, and its use is now expanding to mobile.
Increasingly intrusive advertising formats such as overlays and pop-ups are likely to blame for consumers' embrace of ad blocking, according to Mindshare. However, many ad blockers don’t differentiate between banners, pop-ups, video, and paid search, making it nearly impossible to reach shoppers.