REINVENTING VIDEO ADVERTISING

Why People Block Ads

#WhyPeopleBlock

Presenter
Matt Engstrom

Director of Content and Insights

Teads

#WhyPeopleBlock

REINVENTING VIDEO ADVERTISING

Methodology & Sampling

Methodology
Research objective:

Measurement methodology:

Obtain a greater understanding of ad blocker

adoption via active users of blockers and
those who are aware of ad blockers but have
not yet installed. This includes adoption by
device, browser, blocker type, motivations to
install and potential solutions.

Online survey, self-reported

Dates in field:
November 2 "
November 9, 2015

Market:
United States

Primary segments:
Active ad blockers in desktop, Active ad blockers on mobile
(smartphones/tablets), Aware of blockers but have not yet
installed

Sample:
N=1,502 with soft quotas to ensure a natural fallout within

segments; Hard quotas around adoption on mobile,

desktop, and overall awareness

N=499: Dont have ad blockers installed but are aware
N= 701: Installed on a desktop/laptop device
N=591: Installed on a mobile device
Screening Criteria: A18+, Internet Connection, Not
employed in relative industries
#WhyPeopleBlock

Key
Takeaways
REINVENTING VIDEO ADVERTISING

1. Intrusive ad formats motivate ad blocker adoption!

3 in 4 people say that intrusive ads were a motivator for
installing ad blockers, more than any other motivator
listed

2. Forced ad formats
encourage ad blocker use!

72%

perceive forced ad formats

as the most intrusive

3. Pre-roll is the most

intrusive video format!
55% of people who have ad
blockers installed rate pre-roll
as the most intrusive video
format (vs. 25% for native
video)

4. Giving users choice to view an ad reduces motivation

to block ads!

80%
Source: Teads Research, Profile of an Ad Blocker, fielding by
Research Now, analysis by Teads, November 2015.

of people would reconsider installing ad blockers if the ad

experience provided them with choice

#WhyPeopleBlock

REINVENTING VIDEO ADVERTISING

Adoption & Awareness

Intrusive advertising aects browsing behavior

When asked if intrusive ads have made the respondent less likely to return to a site
3 in 4 desktop ad blocker users agreed

Ad blocker users
on a mobile device

71%
are less likely
to return

Ad blocker users on a
desktop/laptop device

Those aware of but

dont use ad blockers

75%
are less likely
to return

62%
are less likely
to return

Q: Have digital ads that you found annoying, excessive, or intrusive ever made you less likely to return to a website?
Source: Teads Research, Profile of an Ad Blocker, fielding by Research Now, analysis by Teads, November 2015. Sample: Desktop: n=701, Mobile n=591,
Aware but not installed: 499

#WhyPeopleBlock

Peers drive ad-blocker awareness

Have installed blockers on

mobile device

Have installed blockers on

desktop/laptop

Are aware of ad blockers but

havent installed

Find out from ad blockers from peers

Find out from ad blockers from peers

Find out from ad blockers from peers

44%
26%
Word of mouth

18%
Social media

41%

45%
34%
Word of mouth

11%
Social media

30%
Word of mouth

11%
Social media

Q: From where did you first hear about ad blockers?

Source: Teads Research, Profile of an Ad Blocker, fielding by Research Now, analysis by Teads, November 2015. Find out from peers = word of mouth + social media. "
Sample: Desktop: n=701, Mobile n=591, Aware but not installed: 499.

#WhyPeopleBlock

Highest proportion
of ad blocking
happens on
Chrome
REINVENTING VIDEO ADVERTISING

Total % adoption for those who have installed

ad blockers on any device"
(Those who have blockers installed)

Chrome

67%
38%

Firefox

32%

Safari
Opera
Other
Source: Teads Research, Profile of an Ad Blocker, fielding by
Research Now, analysis by Teads, November 2015. Base: Those
who have ad blockers on device. Sample: N=1,003

3%
10%

Q: On which of the following web browsers have you installed ad blockers?

#WhyPeopleBlock

REINVENTING VIDEO ADVERTISING

Drivers of Blocker Adoption

Intrusive
advertising
largest motivator
to install blockers

REINVENTING VIDEO ADVERTISING

Motivations to install

(Have installed on any device)

Ads are interruptive or

annoying

74%
64%

Affects site performance

62%

Excessive ads

54%

Privacy concerns

18%

Curiosity about technology

Other

Source: Teads Research, Profile of an Ad Blocker, fielding by

Research Now, analysis by Teads, November 2015. Base: Those who
have ad blockers on device. N=1,003. Respondents were asked
question for each device they have where an ad blocker is installed.

7%

Q: Which of the following reasons motivated you to install ad blockers on

your device?

#WhyPeopleBlock

Forced formats drive adoption on desktop/laptop

When asked to rank formats by intrusiveness, respondents most frequently ranked large, forced ads as the most intrusive

52%
Forced formats

29%
Large ads

20%
Forced audio
Q: Please order the following features from being the most likely to motivate you to install ad blockers to the least likely. #1
Source: Teads Research, Profile of an Ad Blocker, fielding by Research Now, analysis by Teads, November 2015. Base: those who are aware of but have not yet
installed ad blockers. "
Sample: Video ads that cover entire screen n=202, Unskippable video n=151, Auto-play audio n=78, Video ads that remain on the screen upon scrolling n=141, Video
interstitial n=69.

#WhyPeopleBlock

and on mobile as well

Mobile blocker adopters are more likely to be motivated to install blockers due to interstitial formats than on desktop

54%
Forced formats
22%
Forced audio

25%
Large ads

Q: Please order the following features from being the most likely to motivate you to install ad blockers to the least likely. #1
Source: Teads Research, Profile of an Ad Blocker, fielding by Research Now, analysis by Teads, November 2015. Base: those who are aware of but have not yet
installed ad blockers. "
Video ads that cover entire screen n=146, Unskippable video n=131, Auto-play audio n=77, Video ads that remain on the screen upon scrolling n=104, Video
interstitial n=80

#WhyPeopleBlock

REINVENTING VIDEO ADVERTISING

Ad Formats Impact on Adoption

Pop-up ads
largest driver of
ad blocker
adoption

Ad formats that influenced ad blocker

adopters to install
(Have installed on any device)
88%

Pop-up ads

REINVENTING VIDEO ADVERTISING

46%

Display ads

41%

Pre-roll ads

35%

Interstitials
Social feed
ads
Other

Source: Teads Research, Profile of an Ad Blocker, fielding by

Research Now, Analysis by Teads, November 2015. Base: Those
who have ad blockers on device. Sample: n=1,003

28%
5%

Q: Which types of ads do you currently use your ad blocker to remove?

#WhyPeopleBlock

Pre-roll is considered the most intrusive video ad format

% of respondents who ranked formats as most intrusive of those given

Have installed an ad blocker

on a mobile device
52%

Over 1 in 2
consider
pre-roll ads
more intrusive
than native
video on a
mobile device

Have installed an ad blocker

on a desktop/laptop
55%
25%

23%

Pre-roll

In-article native
video

Pre-roll

In-article native
video

Q: Please order ad formats below from most intrusive to least intrusive.

Source: Teads Research, Profile of an Ad Blocker, fielding by Research Now, analysis by Teads, November 2015. Base: those who have installed blockers
by device. Sample: Any Device: n=1,003, Desktop: n=701, Mobile n=591. *In-article native video are formats that appear between the text of an article.

#WhyPeopleBlock

People
consider
pre-roll more
intrusive on
desktops, too

Mobile ads perceived to be more intrusive

% of respondents who find ad formats on mobile more intrusive

Have installed blockers

on a mobile device

78%

Have installed blockers on a

desktop/laptop

Are aware of ad blockers

but havent installed

69%

67%

Q: To what extent do you agree with the following statement: 'I find advertising on a mobile device to be more intrusive or annoying than on my desktop device? Top-2 Box.
Source: Teads Research, Profile of an Ad Blocker, fielding by Research Now, analysis by Teads, November 2015. Sample: Desktop: n=701, Mobile n=591,
Aware but not installed: 499

#WhyPeopleBlock

REINVENTING VIDEO ADVERTISING

What Users Want

User choice is
the solution
to preventing
blocker adoption

REINVENTING VIDEO ADVERTISING

Features that may motivate those considering

adoption to avoid installing ad blockers
(Considering installing blockers on any device)
56%

Ability to skip from the beginning

48%

The option to close an ad

35%

Ability to skip after 5 sec

32%

Ability to turn off the sound

30%

Ability to scroll past a video ad

The ad is for a relevant product or
service
The ad is relevant to the content

Source: Teads Research, Profile of an Ad Blocker, fielding by

Research Now, analysis by Teads, November 2015. Base: Those who
are considering installing ad blockers on device. N=835

Q: Which of the following features of an online ad, if any, would make you
to consider not installing an ad blocker?

27%
22%

#WhyPeopleBlock

Ad relevancy
motivates users to
view advertising
REINVENTING VIDEO ADVERTISING

Reasons users have for viewing ads

(Total respondents)
Ads about products
or services I like

39%

Ads that help me

find out about new
product or services

37%

Entertaining ads

35%

Non intrusive ads

35%

Ads that generate

revenue for
publishers I like
Other

Source: Teads Research, Profile of an Ad Blocker, fielding by Research Now,

analysis by Teads, November 2015. Aggregated response by device not taking
into account duplication. Base: Total ad blocker users. Sample n=1,502

16%
10%

Q: Which of the following reasons below would motivate you to see some
online advertising?

#WhyPeopleBlock

Users would allow ads on a site they value

% of respondents who would whitelist ads on a site they find valuable

Have installed blockers

on a mobile device

69%

Have installed blockers on a

desktop/laptop

65%

Q: Please indicate how strongly you agree with the following statement, 'I would consider whitelisting or unblocking ads from certain sites if they were valuable to me'.
Source: Teads Research, Profile of an Ad Blocker, fielding by Research Now, analysis by Teads, November 2015. Sample: Desktop: n=701, Mobile n=591,
Aware but not installed: 499. Top-two box.

#WhyPeopleBlock

Recommendations for creating an optimal ad experience

1. Integrate advertising formats which create a seamless user experience

2. Leverage features that give users control of the ad experience through choice
3. Limit the use of advertising formats that are considered intrusive such as pre-roll
4. Create formats which are built specifically for mobile to improve users perception of mobile
advertising
5. Strategically use targeting to ensure ads are relevant to the user

#WhyPeopleBlock

Q&A

#WhyPeopleBlock

THANK YOU!
Download the full study at
info.teads.tv/ad-blockers-en

Questions?
marketing-us@teads.tv or matt.engstrom@teads.tv

#WhyPeopleBlock