Serving Up a “Better Ads Experience” in 2018

(Updated February 20, 2018)

This month, the Coalition for Better Ads is rolling out a new voluntary initiative focused on improving the online marketplace and the overall digital user experience for consumers.

Based on research from more than 25,000 consumers, the Coalition has identified the most disruptive ad formats, based on their low rankings, as well as ones that are most likely to encourage consumers to implement ad blockers. This research led to the development of the Better Ad Standards, which will serve as a guide for the Coalition to certify web publishers who agree to avoid using the disruptive ad formats. 

How exactly will this impact digital advertising?

Here are some key details:

• Qualifying ad formats: For desktop, ads that don’t meet the new Standards include pop-up ads, auto-play video ads with sound, prestitial ads with countdown and large sticky ads. For mobile, it includes pop-up ads, prestitial ads, ads with greater density than 30%, flashing animated ads, auto-play video ads with sound, postitial ads with countdown, full-screen rollover ads and large sticky ads. To learn more about these ad types, click here.
• How these Standards will be enforced: This initiative is currently voluntary, however, publishers can get certified if they agree to abide by the Standards. And Google is already on board – they announced Chrome’s plans to support the Standards by flagging violations, and removing ads from sites that have a “failing” status in their Ad Experience Report for more than 30 days – a practice that will go into effect as soon as February 15th. That’s a good reason for ad networks and publishers to carefully consider abiding by the new Standards, given that Google Chrome took up roughly 60% of the 2017 browser market share.

Here’s an update from Google on the 12 ad types Chrome will block by default:

Ultimately, these Standards are just trying to improve overall user experience and it is a crucial move for the sustainability of digital advertising. Brad Bender, Google’s VP of Product Development, says:

“When people are surfing online, they’re trying to get to the content they love and annoying ads are just irritating to users and, frankly, can be damaging to the entire industry. If we don’t do something now, the problem will just get worse in our mobile-first, app-based economy.”

Curious whether this will affect your current advertising efforts? Drop us a line.