Dive Brief:

• The Financial Times is taking an interesting new approach to fighting ad blocking technology. Instead of denying visitors using ad blocking software from viewing its content, the publisher will display articles for ad blocking users, but with random missing words scattered throughout the copy, according to Digiday.
• Other tests include asking visitors to whitelist the site but still displaying content and simply blocking visitors who refuse to whitelist the website. The tests will run for four weeks, giving non-subscribers, who account for 75% of the Financial Times’ traffic, a range of different experiences.
• The version with random words blanked out is designed to remind readers that ad block tech is taking something away from the webpage as well as from the publisher/reader exchange for free content while the publisher gets ad revenue.

Dive Insight:

Ad blocking technology is a significant and growing issue for publishers, ad tech firms and marketers. According to eMarketer, around 26% of U.S. internet users will use ad block software this year, a 34% increase over last year. And publishers are trying out a multitude of approaches to the issue, including asking to be whitelisted while still displaying content to flat-out blocking content from visitors who have ad block technology installed and active. Perhaps most worrying for the industry should be that the highest levels of ad block adoption are happening with the youngest demographics.

“We chose this approach because it gets across the message in a relatively humorous way," Financial Times Global Sales Director Dominic Good told Digiday. "It’s honest. We’re not saying ‘oops we’ve seen you have an ad blocker on therefore we’re having trouble giving you content,’ like we’re saying to readers it’s due to some tech problem. We need to remind them of the problem that it’s causing in funding media.”

Although the Financial Times is taking an interesting approach, the battle centers around the user experience with ads. And so far, the people who choose to block ads are winning it.

"Whether you look at Uber, Airbnb, TiVo (DVR’s), Netflix, or music streaming ... consumer demand always prevails over entrenchment of the establishment," Jerrid Grimm, co-founder of Pressboard, explained to Marketing Dive. "Why would we expect ad blocking to be any different? If this becomes a technological arms race, we’re putting our bet on the consumer winning the war."