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Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Ad blocking is declining in Germany

[German Ad Blockers]BI Intelligence _This story was delivered to BI Intelligence "Digital Media Briefing" subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here._ Ad block usage appears to have declined in Germany, The Wall Street Journal reports. German digital media trade body Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft found that ads were blocked on 19.1% of desktop websites in Q3 2016, down from 21.2% in Q3 2015, and marking the fourth consecutive quarter of ad-blocking declines. Germany has a relatively high rate of ad blocking. A quarter of the country’s internet population uses an ad blocker, according to Reuters’ Digital News Report, placing it 10th among the 26 countries surveyed. However, Germany’s ranking climbs to third behind Poland and Greece when honing in on users under 35 years, with 39% of German’s in this age group using ad blockers. And around one-third of Germans questioned by Reuters said they plan to install a mobile ad blocker next year. The findings suggest that publishers’ anti-ad blocking efforts are working. A number of publishers are tapping into strategies to counteract ad-blocking behavior. These can range from the softer approach of requesting users to turn off their ad blockers, to the hardline measure of collectively blocking all content for ad blocking users. Business Insider’s parent Axel Springer was one of the first publishers to restrict all access to its publication Bild.de unless users turned off their ad blockers or signed up for a monthly subscription. There are hundreds of millions of monthly active users (MAU) of ad-block software globally, which represents a big uptick in ad-block usage from just one year ago. The software, which blocks ads from appearing on websites, search, and social networks, is also picking up steam in the U.S. So what does that mean for publishers? How will they try to reach you as more users install ad-blockers? BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on ad-blocking that looks at ad block usage rates, discusses Apple's  ad block software and how it could make ad blocking more common on mobile, and examines solutions for publishers. There are several solutions that publishers can use to combat the growing ad-block problem, including education, technical solutions, and micropayments. Which solution publishers should opt for can be determined by their particular ad-block usage rates. _HERE ARE SOME OF THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE REPORT:_ * Ad blocking poses a major threat to digital media companies that depend on advertising for revenue. If ad blocking on mobile reaches desktop levels, US digital media companies could lose out on as much as $9.7 billion across digital ad formats next year, according to BI Intelligence estimates based on current usage rates. * Ad-block usage rates vary greatly depending on content type and audience demographics. Publishers whose audience skews toward young males, such as video game sites, tend to see much higher ad-block usage compared with general news sites. * Ad blocking may become even more common with the release of Apple's widely used desktop and mobile operating systems later this year. The operating systems will feature a framework that makes it significantly easier for developers to create ad-blocking software, particularly on mobile. * Ad blockers typically use one of two methods to prevent ads from loading. In most cases, ad blockers prevent the loading of digital ads that are served by a list of known ad servers. Blocked ads typically include display, video, social, and search ad units that appear in web browsers. _IN FULL, THE REPORT:_ * Outlines ad-block usage trends across content types, geography, and demographic * Explore the rising threat of mobile ad blocking, including Apple's new content blocking framework * Examines solutions that publishers can use to combat ad blocking To get your copy of this invaluable guide, choose one of these options: * Subscribe to an ALL-ACCESS Membership with BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report AND over 100 other expertly researched deep-dive reports, subscriptions to all of our daily newsletters, and much more. >> START A MEMBERSHIP * Purchase the report and download it immediately from our research store. >> BUY THE REPORT The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you’ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of ad-blocking.


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.businessinsider.com