Mobile usage has skyrocketed over the years. Data collected
over time suggest that “global mobile data traffic is projected to increase
nearly sevenfold between 2017 and 2022,” and “As of February 2019, mobile devices accounted for 48 percent of web page views
worldwide, with mobile-first markets such as Asia and Africa leading the
pack” (source).
With this much growth, advertisers are, of course, working
to optimize and leverage mobile-first ads. But where advertisers flock, so do
those eager to live an ad-free online existence: According to a report from PageFair,
recently highlighted in Adage,
“…more than 527 million people globally are blocking ads on mobile, up 64
percent since 2016.” While using mobile adblockers had previously been a choice
made mostly by the most tech savvy, this spike in mobile ad blockers suggests
it may be a bigger trend for the general public – and therefore a cause for
concern.
In the US specifically, Adage reports that mobile represents
nearly 70 percent of all digital ad spend, and mobile adblocking has increased
modestly, by 1%, since 2016. But that 1% isn’t harmless, suggests Marty
Kratzy-Katz, co-founder and CEO at Blockthrough, when you realize that “…users
running blockers on mobile represent about 4 percent of all U.S.
traffic, as they consume more media than people who don't use ad blockers”
(Adage).
So, how to proceed? Some publishers have responded by locking
content for users that are running adblockers. Others are doing nothing at all
about it. The solution may lie in the ongoing efforts of marketers to make ads
that feel personal: Katz suggests that there are different segments of mobile
users that leverage an ad blocker, and that “…there are those who are OK with
ad experiences, as long as they are done right” (Adage).
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