Ad blocking software has been everywhere in the news lately, largely because of the release of iOS9, which allows ad blocking apps to be developed for Apple mobile devices. There is no doubt that this is a concern for all marketers and something that should not be ignored when developing any type of marketing or advertising campaigns. Just how big of an issue it really is, however, is well worth looking into. According to a recent report from eMarketer, the problem might not be quite as big as many people would imagine.
First, consider the fact that ad blocking on traditional PCs has been available, free and easy to use for well over a decade now. Despite that fact, however, far less than half of people use it even in the demographics that have the highest adoption of ad blocking software. The study found that people age 18-24 use ad blockers the most, and those from France use it at higher rates than other countries. So, even French citizens aged 18-24 only have a 36.1% ad blocking rate.
In the United States, only 16.2% of people 18-24 use this type of software. The overall average in the US is just 9%. While that is 9% higher than most marketers would like, it is still not something to be overly concerned about, especially in the short term.
When it comes to mobile ad blocking the issue is almost non-existent, at least prior to iOS9. Mobile ad traffic as of July of 2015 had only a .1% ad block rate in the US. Of course, this number is expected to go up as more people begin using iOS9 devices, but it is unlikely that it will go up even as high as PC usage.
The bottom line here is that while ad blockers are something that can’t be ignored, those who are publishing ‘the sky is falling’ type of news on the issue are really over reacting. Keep an eye on the issue and factor it into any marketing strategies you have, but don’t let it overwhelm you.
