• by Tobi Elkin , Staff Writer @tobielkin, February 17, 2017

Yesterday, I reported on eMarketer’s revised forecast on ad blockers and other insights the digital research advanced.

I heard from a couple of ad tech companies about the forecast. An executive at Criteo weighed in on the revisions.

“We’re not yet in the midst of an adblockalypse," said Aly Nurmohamed, Criteo's VP, global publisher strategy. Yet he argued that there remains a lot of work to be done to ensure that ads are “engaging with consumers and not getting in the way of their online experience.”  

Nurmohamed maintained the digital advertising industry has more insight into consumer browsing behavior, likes and dislikes, than ever. “It’s essential that this information is being used to eradicate intrusive and irrelevant online ads in all their forms. Quick fixes will only turn more users off.”

Reacting to the revised forecast and analysis, Nurmohamed argued that ad blocking has “kick-started an exciting era where brands have the chance to engage Web and mobile users at a highly personalized level, with targeted, relevant content.” And yet he said that this is a  dialogue in progress and that there must be an opportunity for users to offer feedback or even opt out. He maintained that “by embracing these changes, consumers will enjoy a significantly improved experience, brands will see better campaign performance, and the ad-blocking figures should continue to fall.”

Criteo reports earnings next week.