Millennials make marketers’ world go ‘round, so they might find some new ad-blocking data rather upsetting.
About one in five currently employ an ad blocker on their
smartphones, while an additional 16% say they “want to,” but don’t think they can use one on their current device.
That’s according to a new study of 500 U.S. adults
commissioned by location-based mobile platform Retale.
More alarming, 63% of millennials currently use ad blockers on their personal computers. I think this figure paints a more accurate
picture of demand among this prized demo, and suggests where mobile ad-blocker numbers are headed.
“Not only are [millennials] seemingly more inclined to tune out display and banner ads
while on a PC, they’re proactive in blocking them,” said Pat Dermody, president of Retale.
What’s the solution?
For one, “To more effectively connect with this
group, advertisers need to focus on building relevant and engaging campaigns that reach millennials when they are ready to interact,” Dermody suggests.
Additionally, “Advertisers
can’t afford to ignore mobile ad blocking,” Dermody said. “As adoption expands, brands will need to factor these potential obstacles into their digital marketing strategy.”
Added Dermody: “People want to block mobile banner ads just as they’ve done with desktop ads, but the awareness around mobile ad-blocking solutions and the technology itself isn’t
quite there yet.