ANA president Bob Liodice says industry needs to swallow pride when it comes to ad blocking
The Association of National Advertisers (ANA) president and chief executive officer Bob Liodice has said that although the industry is focusing on the legal and technical side of ad blocking, marketers and advertisers need to swallow their pride and focus on the real issue at hand.
Speaking to attendees at the 2015 ANA Masters of Marketing Conference, he said it’s easy to see why the digital consumer is pushing back.
“Ad blocking recognizes user outrage over substantial diminished user experience,” he said.
Liodice’s comments come as ad blocking increasingly becomes a major concern within the industry. Apps like Crystal and Purify allow users to block ads within mobile web browsers, which can result in faster page load times and increased battery life.
Yet Liodice added that “as many challenges as our industry has, we have a growing abundance to influence change.”
He cited popular campaigns like P&G’s ‘Like a Girl’ and Unilever’s Project Sunlight as examples of how marketing can make a world of difference.