Consumer Attitude Towards Ad Blocks - 25% Don’t Want to Share Their Info

People's Interest in Ad Block software has declined over recent years.

To keep up with the times, many people now avoid advertising. Whether by using ad blockers or paying for digital media free from ads and sponsored content, providers have found their way into our everyday lives.

However, we still don't feel comfortable when companies trawl through our data to make targeted offers just because they can.

I found that the Google Trend data indicate less consumer interest in ad-block software.

My theory is ad block may do a good job blocking ads on the web browser but may not do well in other scenarios.

For example, more people are shifting from subscription-based services to consumer content with no ads and streaming videos where ad block doesn't apply well.

Ads help internet users discover products.

Consumers today are more receptive to less intrusive ad experiences. They also prefer ads that give them more control over how the ad is used.

Almost half of adult US internet users say that when brands use their data to create ads, it helps them discover and find products and services that interest them.

Ad Block Software needs are there but for specific use cases.

44% said they often feel ads are invasive. This is where the needs for ad-block software come into play. Perhaps, the current demand for adblocker indicates the industry is not doing a great job managing consumer expectations with how they manage their user data with ads.

There are situations where ad block doesn't work well. For example, when you're streaming YouTube on TV, in many cases, ad-block is not available for TV unless you subscribe to YouTube Premium.

Ads are okay if users are getting value.

As publishers shift to subscription models, consumers opt to pay to receive digital content without ads or with reduced ad loads. But in most media channels, consumers are more likely to accept ads when they don't have to pay to subscribe or pay less for a subscription.

What are the important steps to take when 1 out of 4 people don't like sharing their personal information?

1. Make zero-party data a priority.

Zero-party data is information that customers give to companies without guessing what the customers might want.

Customers usually give this type of data to get better shopping experiences in return. Some examples of questions that can get zero-party data are --

• "How often do you want to receive emails from us?"
• "What type of content do you like to watch?"
• "How was your most recent experience in our store?"

Zero-party data is the key to personalized experiences, so it doesn't make sense for anonymous customers. So, zero-party data is only useful for identified customers.

2. Build a strong data foundation

It is safe to assume your competition is investing in improving their data foundation.

As you can see from this CMO survey results in 2021, marketing leaders have invested in data analytics. Many businesses are now focused on returning their investments from the new capabilities.

A good marketing technology stack and data foundation means –

1. You have good data for reporting and leveraging for executing your marketing strategies. Avoid the garbage-in-garbage-out situation.
2. Better integrations with various marketing technology stacks for advanced use cases for deploying advertising.
3. Become more relevant to your customers. The more you know and understand your customer, the better you can operate and build better marketing strategies. Good technology stack enables you to become smarter and better engage with your customers.

3. Build a good customer experience and trust with your user base

You want to be transparent with your data practices to your customer base. For example, if your business collects anonymized data from your user base, then let them know. This will help build trust with your users as you look to monetize your information.

It would be best if you had a good legal team for ensuring compliance with the latest GDPR and other privacy regulations.

Great website and store usability are meaningless the moment customers distrust you. So make sure you treat your customers the way you want to be treated.

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