September 19, 2016

Leading international trade associations and companies involved in online media are joining forces to improve consumers’ experience with online advertising.  The “Coalition for Better Ads” will leverage consumer insights and cross-industry expertise to develop and implement new global standards for online advertising.

“Advertising funds the diversity of information, entertainment, and services on the free Internet, but that doesn’t give business a license to abuse the good will of consumers”, said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the IAB, one of the Coalition members who announced the initiative at dmexco, the global conference for digital marketers.  “It is essential that industry creates standards to assure that consumers get safe, fast, secure delivery of the sites and services they love”, he said.

The Coalition will focus on the following initiatives in the coming months:

• create consumer-based, data-driven standards that companies in the online advertising industry can use to improve the consumer ad experience;
• in conjunction with the IAB Tech Lab, develop and deploy technology to implement the agreed standards; and
• encourage awareness of the standards among consumers and businesses in order to ensure wide uptake, and elicit feedback. The Coalition will draw upon consumer research in shaping the standards.

“When consumers have a negative experience with ads on a site, it impacts the entire Internet ecosystem – publishers, advertising technology companies, agencies, and advertisers”, said Leigh Freund, President and CEO of the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI).  “Therefore, it is essential that our industry comes together to solve this problem in a structured way that puts the experience of the consumer front and centre and holds the industry accountable for that experience”, he said.

“Ads support free content, quality journalism and enable social connections across the Internet”, said Stephan Loerke, CEO of the World Federation of Advertisers, “but people are telling us they are fed up with how ads are being delivered on their favourite sites.  We hear that message loud and clear.  Today’s announcement is an important step forward in shaping a worldwide response”.  To read the IAB’s press release in full, click here.