From the perspective of someone who survives solely on online ad revenue (me), ad blockers are vile and people who use them are worse. But Facebook has a more pragmatic view.
The social network has seen the rise of ad-blocking software reach its current peak of 200 million people worldwide, and has decided to tackle the problem. VP of ads and business platform, Andrew Bosworth, said: “When we asked people about why they used ad-blocking software, the primary reason we heard was to stop annoying, disruptive ads.”
Facebook’s solution to this problem is pretty bullish. It’s going to design its ads in a way that sidesteps the ad blockers and serve ads regardless. In Bosworth’s own words he said: “We’ve designed our ad formats, ad performance and controls to address the underlying reasons people have turned to ad-blocking software.”
He continued: “When they’re relevant and well-made, ads can be useful, helping us find new products and services and introducing us to new experiences – like an ad that shows you your favourite band is coming to town or an amazing airline deal to a tropical vacation.”
Knowing how much data Facebook has for each of its users, this is a compelling argument. The combination of which brands, sports teams or musicians users follow, with the trends of what they have previously clicked on, puts the social network in a strong position to prove “ads can be useful”.
Facebook has made £4.7 billion of revenue from advertising in the past three months.
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