Dive Brief:
- With an increasing audience of cord cutters, network TV is finding streaming media doesn’t mean delivering ads.
- Ad-blocking software kills pre-roll and in-show ads.
- The issue is of importance for marketers and publishers because rather than simple impressions, viewability is a growing standard for digital ads.
Dive Insight:
Ad-blocking software is something that affects both publishers and marketers, and one of the most captured audiences can opt out by viewing network television via streaming media players. Ad-blocking software can get rid of pre-roll and in-show ads for viewers. The issue is a known obstacle, and one industry executive told Ad Age, "It's a very important issue and something we are looking at very closely right now. We are currently running tests to see the impact on the digital business."
This trend is doubly difficult for publishers because marketers are pushing to pay for online ads based on viewability rather than impression metrics. This trend has moved from desktop ads to mobile ads even though there are no set standards for what constitutes a “viewed” ad. The confusion has prompted startup news sites to push out products that address viewability at the the outset.
For example, LittleThings, a news and lifestyle website targeted toward women, is rolling out an ad-friendly design later this year based on views and engagement. Gretchen Tibbits, COO, told Adweek, "Because we're only a year old, we have the benefit of seeing the challenges and the mistakes that others have made. We were able to fill in some [holes] from day one."