A Step in the Right Direction

Soon you may notice a slightly different advertising experience if you use Google’s Chrome browser as it begins to implement the Better Ads Standards starting February 15th.

In 2016 DMA joined with an international group of trade associations and companies to form the Coalition for Better Ads with the goal of improving the consumers’ experience with online advertising by identifying the online advertising formats that are most appealing to users.

In early 2017, the Coalition released initial Better Ads Standards for desktop and mobile web reflecting consumer advertising preferences in North American and European markets. The initial Standards are based on the research in which consumers comparatively ranked different ad experiences online. More than 25,000 consumers rated 104 ad experiences for desktop web and mobile web and identifying four desktop and eight mobile ad experiences that should be avoided because they are the most annoying to consumers.
Using the Better Ads Standards

A 2017 survey from Rakuten Marketing found that 40% of consumers will abandon websites due to bad ad experiences and that 69% believe online advertising needs to change. Bad ad experiences motivate consumers to adopt ad blockers, robbing publishers of needed revenue and keeping marketers from reaching their customers. The need to offset these negatives were the motivating factors behind the founding of the Coalition for Better Ads.

Writing for Martech Series, Cory Hudson said, “To successfully engage and inspire audiences, you don’t annoy them—you need to understand who they are, what they want and then give them exactly that.”

I couldn’t agree with that sentiment more. By delivering better ad experiences, marketers and publishers will foster increased trust with their customers. That’s exactly why the Data & Marketing Association chose to participate in the coalition, because it represents the industry stepping up to deliver a better ad experience across the board. The February 15th change from Google is only the first step.

I look forward to seeing more changes in how marketers, technology companies, and publishers deliver ad experiences for customers. When an annoying or fraudulent ad is delivered to a customer, it hurts all of us in the industry. Therefore, it is up to each of us to help move the ecosystem to a better place.

Additionally, the Coalition for Better Ads has announced that it has opened enrollment for its Better Ads Experience Program for publishers that wish to certify their compliance with the Better Ads Standards. Initial publisher registration will be free of charge until at least July 1. You can find more information about this news on the Coalition for Better Ads website.