If the title surprises you, bear with us.

Yes, there has been a wide gap between what the users want and what the advertisers want when the debate comes to ad blockers. This is mainly because what the dream is for advertisers: an accurate customer profile able to help them understand what the users might buy, is a privacy nightmare. Content producers and companies wish for their ads to be viewed by many people, repeatedly, so that they would be able to sell their product and build a personal profile from your browsing history. To us normal folk, this is something we never agreed with.

This is why people are interested in using ad blockers on their iPhones—they want a better user experience. But the question remains, how can this help advertisers?

Here’s our two cents:

1. Empowering the Customer Will Provide Benefits for the Company

If we compare today’s online advertising methodology to that of yesterday’s print advertising, the focus has always been on how much space an ad can cover. Today, efficient advertising prioritizes how targeted an advertisement is, that is, how accurate the ads are to the user’s interests. While targeted advertisements are better for both consumers and the company, taking it to a level that infringes upon privacy is not acceptable.

Ad blockers for iOS prevent companies from accomplishing what users do not want. When enough companies are pressured, they will hopefully understand that there is a need to provide for users rather than advertisers. And maybe, just like the change from focusing on space to focusing on needs, there may be a revolution in the advertising world that empowers customers.

2.Ad Blockers Challenge Companies to Consider Marketing Methods Users Want to Engage With

When companies face a dead-end from this pressure, the smart ones would figure out other means to market their products and services to their customers. This could include survey forms that collect data important for targeting that is optional. The bonus of these methods would be that the end user would be fully aware which data goes into the company’s data sets and in control of which data they wish to divulge.

3. Companies Can Create Trust-Based Relationships with their Customers

Smart companies can build trust with their customers by creating transparency concerning what information they use and for what purpose. Customers might even be willing to cooperate and willingly provide more information. The only companies left behind would be the ones who do not provide quality products or services.

We’re all better off without them.

SEVEN AdClear for iOS is an effective ad blocker that is completely free! If you have any questions, send me a message and I’ll get back to you!

Christian Sandlin
csandlin@seven.com