THE CHALLENGE OF WEBSITES DEALING WITH AD BLOCKERS IN RUSSIA
The rise of software that blocks banner ads on websites has emerged as a significant issue for individual sites and the advertising industry as a whole. The growing prevalence of these blockers has prompted websites to explore different strategies for effectively delivering ad content to users. Explore the challenges faced by Russian websites in their battle against ad blockers in a blog post by the Quarter Billion Agency Group.
The global adoption of ad blockers has been on a steady rise in recent times. As per a report by Adobe and Pagefair, the number of users employing ad blockers has reached a staggering 198 million worldwide. This marks a significant 41% increase in ad blocker usage in 2015 alone. Moreover, the prevalence of such software extends beyond desktop computers, as they are now becoming increasingly popular on mobile browsers as well. Russia is no exception to this trend, as the patterns observed in the proliferation of ad blockers and the efforts to combat them align with global trends. According to data from Yandex, approximately 10% of users in Russia currently utilize ad blocking software.
There are several distinct strategies employed to combat ad blockers. The first strategy involves advertising in a manner that avoids being blocked. Rather than using traditional banner ads, advertisements are integrated as an inherent part of the website itself. For instance, they may be incorporated into the website’s background, seamlessly blending with the rest of the content. Additionally, various technical tricks can be employed to bypass ad blockers. However, it is important to note that ad blockers are continuously improving, making long-term technical manipulation increasingly difficult.
Another strategy to combat ad blocking involves incorporating advertisements that are inherently related to the website’s content. These include native ads and affiliate materials. Many media outlets in Russia have already adopted these formats successfully.
The third strategy involves appealing to users and requesting them to disable AdBlock. This appeal is often presented as a prominent banner, designed to grab the user’s attention. Some websites even employ creative methods like switching the site to black-and-white or applying sepia coverage, as seen on sports.ru in the past.
Lastly, the fourth strategy revolves around restricting access to site content for users who have ad blockers enabled. For instance, cnews.ru completely blocks content for users with AdBlock. Another notable example is Channel One, which recently announced its intention to forcefully reduce the video quality of online broadcasts for users with ad blocking software. A Channel One representative highlighted that the channel is losing up to 25% of video ad revenues due to ad blocking. It’s worth mentioning that Rutube, a video hosting platform, has taken similar actions in the past.
The proliferation of ad blocking has become a prominent trend in Russia and across the globe. Websites in Russia, much like those in other countries, are actively seeking methods to circumvent ad blockers. These methods include technical measures to evade traditional banner ads, implementing native advertising and sponsored content, and directly appealing to users to disable AdBlock. Quarter Billion Agency Group experts are equipped to provide guidance on minimizing the impact of ad blocking on your advertising campaign, ensuring minimal damage.