Davos: 34% of Internet users blocked ads and challenge Media revenues

I had the pleasure to moderate a WEF session about how the Media industry is transforming and the WEF’s just released report about Digital Media and Society. Here are a few highlights.

The audience is no longer passive

The report highlights how press and traditional media in general are losing audience to social networking (Facebook!) and prefer expression, learning and not being passive anymore just digesting content.

Journalists are trusted less than family and friends

When making any decision, digital users will trust family and friends more than any other source. It seems obvious, but what changed over the years is how widely available or easy to access is “asking your friends” online. If you buy a product, you’re likely to decide which one by asking your friends or if they talk about it rather than reading a review in the press.

34% of digital users install ad blockers

People don’t want intrusive ads and most teenagers block them. It’s a real challenge for the media revenue so they’re trying to find solutions like detecting those blockers and offering to pay for the content if the user doesn’t want the ads. Facebook’s advertising is very innovative and doesn’t suffer much blocking as it’s more targeted. Facebook users can also give immediate feedback to teach the algorithm “I don’t want to see this ad anymore”.

We discussed how Media can find new business models for content not relying on intrusive advertising and how to restore trust.

It seems to me that Facebook found a good way to grow impressive advertising revenues without annoying users much.

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