Vs.

CONSUMERS ADVERT I SERS

VS.

BY: MICHELLE LYONS

AD BLOCKERS: THE WAR BETWEEN ONLINE CONSUMERS AND ADVERTISERS

Image Source: “Attack on all Fronts (war propaganda campaign)”, By Library and Archives Canada, https://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/19725303291

“With ad-blocking software, [online consumers] have declared war on

publishers… a conflict in which neither side can gain long-term

advantage”

Image Source: “To Victory War Propaganda Campaign”, By Charles Wilcox, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ToVictoryPoster.jpg\

(Mortished, 2015)

ad block·er

noun

a piece of software designed to prevent advertisements from

appearing on a web page

Image Source: “Burma Shave For War Bonds”, by Orin Zebest, https://www.flickr.com/photos/orinrobertjohn/4124265584

("ad blocker - definition of ad blocker in English | Oxford Dictionaries", 2017)

AD

ADImage Source: Keep these hands off !, By Special Collections Toronto,

https://www.flickr.com/photos/43021516@N06/6799442976/in/photolist-qLYuT8-NXMi2Z-bmQVvs-pnijwu-apL9WG-nVs98S-9nSK8G-p6aLDJ-QPQPfo-J7FcEK-xdXprz-RBxi5n-KQHKm1-NCWugT-LLbtHo-6oGcHP-sQrXh3

In the US, ad blocking grew 48 percent between

2014 to 2015

198 consumers globally are

now blocking ads

Surveys claim that young internet

users have already decided they hate

online ads (Rosenwald, 2015)

(Rosenwald, 2015)

(Rosenwald, 2015)

1- Ads are annoying and intrusive (64%) 2- Ads are disruptive (54%) 3- Ads create security concerns (39%) 4- Ads affect load time and bandwidth usage (36%)

When asked why they install ad blockers, users

indicated that it’s because:

Image Source: “Destroy this Mad Brute: Enlist”, by Harry R. Hopps, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Ryle_Hopps#/media/File:Harry_R._Hopps,_Destroy_this_mad_brute_Enlist_-_U.S._Army,_03216u_edit.jpg

(An, 2016)

Third-party data gathering:

In the eyes of browsers, the ubiquity of third-party trackers further justifies their need for

ad-blockers (Emerging Technology from

the arXiv, 2014)

Image Source: “He’s Watching You”, By Daniel Mott, https://www.flickr.com/photos/vargklo/276666657/in/photolist-qrZmM-4938RM-FcMF-7oe7Pd-8BZAbG-dR8Sv9-4rZiNN-rzAULb-qU3jPF-JyqUzW-RStbif-HrDQqf-Q63Qs7-C2wsqA-DJm13i-DBGyph-BSHtkp-CJEi21-GK7Cgj-APVoKj-BELSHM-GiFVCd-BeveQU-Fz6PNv-Mjc1h7-zjdSm-6dSvYY-6RmCA5-awQ3Jy-sAiUMM-P7Z3cn-BVbv1v-rGCPzt-DwEUrh-tXaQ7A-GmH5Jw-

EmiE4k-ACsiix-LichMC-GAdBqW-NSTiUy-DSnGK3-xw5GWc-KQHKm1-K5eqgh-HwEasE-Kez7zs-KpvJ3C-KZD2BF-M2BbVr

The international trade of personal information gathered by certain

companies who monitor our behaviour online.

MALWARE

“Many ads are actually in

questionable ethical territory because

they harass users and in some cases—such as a recent high-profile incident involving Yahoo — infect computers with

malware”

Ethical obligation to install ad-blockers?

Image Source: “We Are Helping Stamp Out Syphylis”, by https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22WE_ARE_HELPING_TO_STAMP_OUT_SYPHILIS%22_-_NARA_-_516062.jpg\ unknown,

(Kulp, 2015)

Michael Rosenwald claims that ad blocking spreads through word-of-mouth

communication, whereby “one person discovers the

blissful web, then tells everyone they know”; however, “if ad blocking

continues to grow in popularity…it could threaten the financial underpinnings

of much of the web”

Image Source: “Loose Lips Might Sink Ships”, by Unknown, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Loose_lips_might_sink_ships.jpg

(Rosenwald, 2015)

INSTALLED

AD BLOCKERS

“The doomsday scenario for publishers is that ad

blocking becomes easier, more well known and

regularly used” (Davies, 2016)

If ad blocking rates maintain their current levels, publishers are estimated to lose $35

billion by 2020 (Davies, 2016)

Image source: “I Lost My Job While You Played Party Politics”, by Jeff Gates, https://www.flickr.com/photos/outtacontext/5938796728/in/photolist-a3MTn3-bfFgGi-4ksEoq-a9QeQk-7JqQTZ-85xtfo-bAam8Y-7aYmUM-7JuLrN-aDG1xt-8gKQ5F-fcMbcx-5tDLgv-bmaWME-ahVqv8-aB8gTZ-aqPr6N-3FvGkq-fB4ZTZ-7JuLzU-7JuLKw-9vdjEL-4RHgDd-

afiLaP-7JqR3R-89Fsv2-9aAH4A-7fDzgW-9XAumS-5tJ21E-qQPrf7-3FroeM-9GYBMe-5tJ2v1-9rue6q-f8YfRt-pgTKrg-7rLEwF-9H2v93-cTeGdS-3FvHyA-8tLP2z-3Frfwv-8iryf1-8SqgBw-i4mHFs-cUsLZC-3Frf6P-5jHv5x-7fiFwG

“Advertising dollars are the lifeblood of the free Internet, fuelling every site from social media

titans to scrappy blogs; some [advertisers] are

going so far as to accuse their users

of stealing content”

Image Source: “Careless ‘Borrowing’ is Sabotage”, by Unknown, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Careless_%22Borrowing%22_is_Sabotage_-_NARA_-_514033.jpg

(Kulp, 2015)

“We French Workers Warn You...Defeat Means Slavery, Starvation, Death”, by Ben Shahn, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:We_French_Workers_Warn_You...Defeat_Means_Slavery,_Starvation,_Death_-_NARA_-_534126.jpg

Avram Piltch—Tom’s Guide editorial director, claims that “Every time you block an ad, what

you're really blocking is food from entering a

child's mouth”

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“But many ad-block users counter that websites brought this on themselves by flooding the Internet for years with obnoxious, and sometimes malicious ads with no regard for the toll it takes on loading speeds or screen clutter”

LOADING…

LOADING…

LOADING…

LOADING…

Image Source: “Stand Firm”, by Tom Purvis, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:INF3-128_War_Effort_Stand_Firm_(Lion)_Artist_Tom_Purvis.jpg

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(Kulp, 2015)

HOW PUBLISHERS ARE FIGHTING BACK!

1-Using technology that helps them get around extensions by

re-inserting ads 2-Paying to be part of a whitelist

of websites maintained by ad blocking organizations

3-Experimenting with ways to get visitors to pay for their content

(i.e., subscriptions, micropayments, or one-time

donations)Image Source: “Sure! We’ll finish the job”, by World War I and World War II Propaganda Posters Collection, Brandeis University, https://

www.flickr.com/photos/brandeisspecialcollections/3043562041 (An, 2016)

Blocking the blockers

Publishers may chose one of two options:

(1) To bypass ad-blockers, displaying ads anyway

(2) To display a message notifying browsers that the use of ad-blockers causes the

site to lose money and offering a subscription plan or letting browsers’

customize their ad experience

Image Source: “I’ll Stick to My Job”, by Packer, poster artist, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22I'll_Stick_To_My_Job%5E_Because_I_Can_Make_Good_Right_Here%22_-_NARA_-_514601.jpg

(An, 2016)

“The heart of the doomsday scenario: The death of free internet”

ADS

Subscription

If programmers fail to make profits, they may have to

appeal to visitors using ad blockers to pay for a

subscription so that content can be maintained

However, research suggests that most people are still not

prepared to pay for premium, advertising-free content

Image Source: “It Is Far Better To Face the Bullets…, by Unknown, ahttp://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30761

(Rosenwald, 2015)

noun

material in an online publication which resembles

the publication's editorial content but is paid for by an advertiser and intended to

promote the advertiser's product.

Image Source:“Enemies in Disguise”, By Tim Fisher, https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/awesome_of_the_day/

2011/05/celebrate-star-wars-day-with-these-sweet-propaganda-posters.html

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Publisher’s are also implementing native advertising…

("the definition of native advertising", 2017)

Some native ads trick consumers into viewing

content by failing to provide source

disclosure to consumers

The advertiser thereby signals a desire to take

advantage of consumers’ naivety and higher levels of trust in

editorial content

Image Source: “Look To Your Right”, by Jeff Gates, https://www.flickr.com/photos/outtacontext/4805053290/in/photolist-8jB9Wo (Colin Campbell, & Lawrence J. Marks, 2015)

Ad blockers

Create unobtrusive and

high quality ads

Ben Wood global president, iProspect,

argues that “ad-blockers aren't really the problem - they are a symptom of poorly executed and poorly

managed digital campaigns…if

advertisers evolve and learn to add value,

consumers won't need or want to block ads”

Image Source: “Of Course I can”, By Dick Williams, https://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_one/4100021432/in/photolist-7fiFwG-5pAWqP-dRj59A-66E8fu-gVAB9h-hxPNkU-gWF9q8-gu9UGK-dhcrAh-8EHB3j-eJeL6s-85ah89-93Z7Gu-jMveEs-drQJ2B-eXrrWF-jMtLL8-gu9UeR-guafZE-guayma-eCe7Ah-5TDHKU-9A2pQs-fCzP61-dUxHZP-aFC2MT-fyBuRn-fyBv8B-dUDmnL-gWEjFJ-aT2ysP-dvFMTK-eJeJzh-jMtRKr-gWEgnh-dUxH38-48kGue-fqFZs9-e8pDsH-7MSMV6-g4RUsT-aCjYvB-jMu13Z-nAmoTg-eCe6Ym-oeRFu7-SeNPAC-zhyKQx-wYRUpf-NXMi2Z

(Anonymous, 2015)

Image Source: “Sony Micro TV Ad”, By Katie Kitsch, https://www.flickr.com/photos/zerodiscipline/3397441037/in/photolist-mjjjuq-

EAZPvo-JTMBRd-6bdLRB-b2XATV-bxgSc5-8r56kr-4LJsw5-4KgvQo-aLbvRe/

IMPLICATIONS OF AD-BLOCKERS DOWN THE ROAD...

“ T H E R E ' S A C H A N C E T H A T P A N I C O V E R A D -

B L O C K E R S I S O V E R W R O U G H T, M U C H

L I K E W H E N T H E T E L E V I S I O N I N D U S T R Y

W O R R I E D T H A T D V R C O M M E R C I A L - S K I P P I N G

C O U L D B E I T S U N D O I N G ”

- E L I Z A B E T H K A L M B A C H (Kulp, 2015)

ON THE OTHER HAND…

T H E R E ’ S T H E P O S S I B I L I T Y O F A S C E N A R I O W H E R E I N “ A F A I L I N G A D I N D U S T R Y S T A R V E S A L L B U T T H E B I G G E S T P U B L I S H E R S … W H O

A R E T H E N F O R C E D T O M A K E D E A L S F O R P R O T E C T I O N W I T H

T H E T E C H G I A N T S “ - M A T T A D D I S O N

Image Source: “Let’s All Fight”, by HeadOvMetal, https://www.flickr.com/photos/headovmetal/2939194510

(Kulp, 2015)

Source Cited (Websites)• ad blocker - definition of ad blocker in English | Oxford Dictionaries. (2017). Oxford Dictionaries |

English. Retrieved 10 March 2017, from https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/ad_blocker• An, Mimi., (2016). Why People Block Ads (And What It Means for Marketers and Advertisers).

HubSpot Research. Retrieved from https://research.hubspot.com/reports/why-people-block-ads-and-what-it-means-for-marketers-and-advertisers#LINK4

• Anonymous., (2015). Media: Q-Is the growth of ad-blockers a threat to online media? Teddington. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.proxy.queensu.ca/docview/1677663493/abstract/677C7F7D501F4D79PQ/1?accountid=6180

• Colin Campbell, & Lawrence J. Marks (2015). Good Native Advertising isn’t a secret. Business Horizons, Volume 58, Issue 6. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007681315000841.

• Davies, Jessica., (2016). Uh-oh: Ad blocking forecast to cost $35 billion by 2020. Digiday. Retrieved from http://digiday.com/uk/uh-oh-ad-blocking-forecast-cost-35-billion-2020/

• Emerging Technology from the arXiv, (2014). The Murky World of Third Party Web Tracking. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved from https://www.technologyreview.com/s/530741/the-murky-world-of-third-party-web-tracking/#comments

• Kulp, Patrick., (2015). Ad-blockers are terrifying companies and publishers, but there’s no holding them back. Mashable. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2015/08/31/ad-block/#YsqazBnVIGqK

• Mortished, Carl., (2015). With ad-blocking software, readers have declared war on publishers. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-commentary/executive-insight/with-ad-blocking-software-readers-have-declared-war-on-publishers/article25234621/

• Rosenwald, Michael., (2015). The digital media industry needs to react to ad blockers … or else. Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved from http://www.cjr.org/business_of_news/will_ad_blockers_kill_the_digital_media_industry.php

• The definition of native advertising. (2017). Dictionary.com. Retrieved 10 March 2017, from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/native-advertising

Source Cited (Images)• “We French Workers Warn You...Defeat Means Slavery, Starvation, Death”, by Ben Shahn, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/

File:We_French_Workers_Warn_You...Defeat_Means_Slavery,_Starvation,_Death_-_NARA_-_534126.jpg• Image Source: “Attack on all Fronts (war propaganda campaign)”, By Library and Archives Canada, https://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/19725303291• Image Source: “Burma Shave For War Bonds”, by Orin Zebest, https://www.flickr.com/photos/orinrobertjohn/4124265584• Image Source: “Careless ‘Borrowing’ is Sabotage”, by Unknown, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Careless_%22Borrowing%22_is_Sabotage_-_NARA_-_514033.jpg• Image Source: “Destroy this Mad Brute: Enlist”, by Harry R. Hopps, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Ryle_Hopps#/media/

File:Harry_R._Hopps,_Destroy_this_mad_brute_Enlist_-_U.S._Army,_03216u_edit.jpg• Image Source: “Don’t Stop Saving Food”, by Unknown, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22Don't_Stop_Saving_Food.%22_-_NARA_-_512539.jpg• Image Source: “He’s Watching You”, By Daniel Mott, https://www.flickr.com/photos/vargklo/276666657/in/photolist-qrZmM-4938RM-FcMF-7oe7Pd-8BZAbG-dR8Sv9-4rZiNN-

rzAULb-qU3jPF-JyqUzW-RStbif-HrDQqf-Q63Qs7-C2wsqA-DJm13i-DBGyph-BSHtkp-CJEi21-GK7Cgj-APVoKj-BELSHM-GiFVCd-BeveQU-Fz6PNv-Mjc1h7-zjdSm-6dSvYY-6RmCA5-awQ3Jy-sAiUMM-P7Z3cn-BVbv1v-rGCPzt-DwEUrh-tXaQ7A-GmH5Jw-EmiE4k-ACsiix-LichMC-GAdBqW-NSTiUy-DSnGK3-xw5GWc-KQHKm1-K5eqgh-HwEasE-Kez7zs-KpvJ3C-KZD2BF-M2BbVr

• Image source: “I Lost My Job While You Played Party Politics”, by Jeff Gates, https://www.flickr.com/photos/outtacontext/5938796728/in/photolist-a3MTn3-bfFgGi-4ksEoq-a9QeQk-7JqQTZ-85xtfo-bAam8Y-7aYmUM-7JuLrN-aDG1xt-8gKQ5F-fcMbcx-5tDLgv-bmaWME-ahVqv8-aB8gTZ-aqPr6N-3FvGkq-fB4ZTZ-7JuLzU-7JuLKw-9vdjEL-4RHgDd-afiLaP-7JqR3R-89Fsv2-9aAH4A-7fDzgW-9XAumS-5tJ21E-qQPrf7-3FroeM-9GYBMe-5tJ2v1-9rue6q-f8YfRt-pgTKrg-7rLEwF-9H2v93-cTeGdS-3FvHyA-8tLP2z-3Frfwv-8iryf1-8SqgBw-i4mHFs-cUsLZC-3Frf6P-5jHv5x-7fiFwG

• Image Source: “I’ll Stick to My Job”, by Packer, poster artist, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22I'll_Stick_To_My_Job%5E_Because_I_Can_Make_Good_Right_Here%22_-_NARA_-_514601.jpg

• Image Source: “Laser Weapon”, By Clker-Free-Vecto-Images, https://pixabay.com/en/laser-gun-weapon-electronics-29637/• Image Source: “Let’s All Fight”, by HeadOvMetal, https://www.flickr.com/photos/headovmetal/2939194510• Image Source: “Look To Your Right”, by Jeff Gates, https://www.flickr.com/photos/outtacontext/4805053290/in/photolist-8jB9Wo• Image Source: “Loose Lips Might Sink Ships”, by Unknown, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Loose_lips_might_sink_ships.jpg• Image Source: “Of Course I can”, By Dick Williams, https://www.flickr.com/photos/x-ray_delta_one/4100021432/in/photolist-7fiFwG-5pAWqP-dRj59A-66E8fu-gVAB9h-hxPNkU-

gWF9q8-gu9UGK-dhcrAh-8EHB3j-eJeL6s-85ah89-93Z7Gu-jMveEs-drQJ2B-eXrrWF-jMtLL8-gu9UeR-guafZE-guayma-eCe7Ah-5TDHKU-9A2pQs-fCzP61-dUxHZP-aFC2MT-fyBuRn-fyBv8B-dUDmnL-gWEjFJ-aT2ysP-dvFMTK-eJeJzh-jMtRKr-gWEgnh-dUxH38-48kGue-fqFZs9-e8pDsH-7MSMV6-g4RUsT-aCjYvB-jMu13Z-nAmoTg-eCe6Ym-oeRFu7-SeNPAC-zhyKQx-wYRUpf-NXMi2Z

• Image Source: “Sony Micro TV Ad”, By Katie Kitsch, https://www.flickr.com/photos/zerodiscipline/3397441037/in/photolist-mjjjuq-EAZPvo-JTMBRd-6bdLRB-b2XATV-bxgSc5-8r56kr-4LJsw5-4KgvQo-aLbvRe/

• Image Source: “Stand Firm”, by Tom Purvis, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:INF3-128_War_Effort_Stand_Firm_(Lion)_Artist_Tom_Purvis.jpg• Image Source: “Sure! We’ll finish the job”, by World War I and World War II Propaganda Posters Collection, Brandeis University, https://www.flickr.com/photos/

brandeisspecialcollections/3043562041• Image Source: “To Victory War Propaganda Campaign”, By Charles Wilcox, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ToVictoryPoster.jpg\• Image Source: “We Are Helping Stamp Out Syphylis”, by https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22WE_ARE_HELPING_TO_STAMP_OUT_SYPHILIS%22_-_NARA_-

_516062.jpg\ unknown,• Image Source: Gray Circles, by Nevit Dilmen, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray_circles.svg• Image Source: Gray Circles, by Nevit Dilmen, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gray_circles.svg• Image Source: Keep these hands off!, By Special Collections Toronto, https://www.flickr.com/photos/43021516@N06/6799442976/in/photolist-qLYuT8-NXMi2Z-bmQVvs-

pnijwu-apL9WG-nVs98S-9nSK8G-p6aLDJ-QPQPfo-J7FcEK-xdXprz-RBxi5n-KQHKm1-NCWugT-LLbtHo-6oGcHP-sQrXh3• Image Source:“Enemies in Disguise”, By Tim Fisher, https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/awesome_of_the_day/2011/05/celebrate-star-wars-day-with-these-sweet-

propaganda-posters.html