You can’t just block ad-blocker users, argues Domain’s Melina Cruickshank
Blocking users of ad blockers from seeing content is not the right approach to solving issues around the growth in ad-blocker usage, Domain Group’s Melina Cruickshank has suggested.
Speaking at today’s Mumbrella 360 conference on the “adblockalypse” which is facing publishers due to the rise of intrusive online adverisments, Cruickshank said publishers shouldn’t “annoy the consumer”.
“I don’t think you can tell them what to do and block them, they’ll just go elsewhere, there’s too much choice now,” she said.
Cruickshank: The industry needs to move fast on finding solutions to the rise of ad-blockers
I installed Wipr after the Mumbrella refresh.
I disagree – you CAN block ad-blocker users IF you’re producing quality, exclusive content that they can’t get elsewhere. They either turn off their ad blocker or they miss out on your content. Of course if your content isn’t unique and can be found on many other websites then they’ll probably just go elsewhere.
I think News Corp are making the right decision in blocking them.
However daily news is rarely exclusive so their ad-blocker users may go elsewhere. But so what if they do? If these users are not interacting with the ads and generating revenue, then there is no commercial loss to News Corp if they go elsewhere. Why would News Corp care if ad-blocker users go away?
If ALL publishers of quality, exclusive journalism suddenly started blocking ad-blockers users, then these users would quickly get in the habit of turning off ad blockers when they’re on these sites. But if only a few publishers do this, the ad-blocker users will just go to other sites.
Good comments Imogen and Melina. People are smart, discerning and if they like the content, understand the model, they will take the ads. Banning people who block ads sounds like something out of 1984.