Google tightens its grip on ads (GOOGL)

Google announced plans to introduce an ad "filtering" tool in its Chrome web browser in early 2018, The Wall Street Journal reports. The feature, which will be turned on by default on desktop and mobile, will block ads that don’t meet the Better Ads Standards. This threatens to seriously disrupt the current model of online advertising, but it may also yield benefits by improving the web browsing experience for users and stemming the growth of ad blockers that all ads.

Since Chrome is the web's dominant browser, the impact could be enormous. It commands a 59% share on desktop and more than 54% on mobile, per NetMarketShare. And since that's rising by the month, it will become all the more imperative for publishers to abide by Google’s advertising guidelines — or risk losing out on ad revenue.

The built-in ad filter will start by blocking the 12 ad formats that are the most disruptive to online browsing, as defined by the Initial Better Ads Standards. This currently comprises 4 desktop web formats and 8 mobile web formats, including pop-up ads, prestitial ads, autoplaying video ads with sound, large banner ads, and more. Online ad space will be pared down significantly once Chrome begins to block these formats.

Publishers, ad tech companies, and, seemingly, Google, stand to lose the most from Chrome’s ad filter:

Creating a better browsing experience for users may stem ad block adoption and preserve ad revenue. Ad blockers that block all ads — not just a select few, like Chrome’s ad filter — are an existential threat to companies that rely on digital ad revenue. Global ad blocking grew by 30% in 2016 driven by increasing usage on desktop and, more pointedly, on mobile, according to Page Fair. By reducing the prevalence of bad ads via its Chrome ad filter, Google will hope to curb the growth of third-party ad blockers, but there’s no guarantee this strategy will work.

Trust is timely. In an era in which fake news is trending, and brands are pulling advertising from large publishers because they don’t want their messaging associated with offensive content, trust is a critical factor that brands consider when re-evaluating digital ad strategies.

Digital trust is the confidence people have in a platform’s ability to protect and promote the interests of its users.

The Digital Trust Report, a brand new report from BI Intelligence, examines consumers’ perception of major social platforms. It rates Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and LinkedIn on security, community, user experience, and content authenticity and shareability. These insights help brands and marketers make informed decisions about where to spend their marketing and branding dollars.

All of the information in this survey comes from our proprietary BI Insiders panel, made up of more than 15,000 specially selected Business Insider readers. T. The panelists are business and tech savvy, they have buying power, and they’re highly engaged. The survey revealed some fascinating insights into how millennials and decision makers view today’s most popular social media platforms.

has been shaken by a proliferation of malicious content and data breaches, which has significant consequences for brands that use these platforms.
The top platform won by a huge margin on most attributes. Content on this platform is more likely to be viewed as forthright and honest, which increases the persuasiveness of ads and marketing messages that appear alongside it. This also creates ideal conditions for thought leadership and branded and sponsored content to flourish.
The second-ranked platform was bolstered by users' confidence sharing content they find there. Users were most apt to share content they found there, which, together with its massive audience and high engagement, makes it the right platform to maximize reach.
The social platform that finished dead last did so because of its abusive comments section and extremely annoying ads. Still, this hasn’t dissuaded people from visiting, as evidenced by the time spent monthly and massive user base. This platform also resonates more with older generations.

The Digital Trust Report is only available with a subscription to BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To access this report, plus hundreds of other deep dives into the future of digital, click here.

Google tightens its grip on ads (GOOGL)

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