eMarketer forecasting analyst Eric Haggstrom, junior forecasting analyst Zachary Goldner, and principal analyst Nicole Perrin discuss the evolving landscape of advertising through connected TV devices and how Roku stands out from the competition. They then talk about when we may see a return to pre-pandemic advertising budgets, the importance of earning consumer trust during data collection, and what happened to ad blocking.

Consumers are uncomfortable with their advertising experiences, due to a combination of intrusive formats and privacy-invading practices. As a result, about one-quarter of US consumers block digital ads.

A quarter of US internet users block ads this year, as they demand more relevant, less intrusive messaging to support their media consumption.

Invasive and retargeted ads are turning some people to ad blocking. Surveys indicate that users are increasingly finding digital ads to be too intrusive.

Ad blocking is more prevalent in Germany than any other country in Europe. More than one-quarter of the entire population—21.4 million people—will block ads on a PC and/or mobile device this year.

Ad blocking user growth is slowing in the UK, with rates much lower than in France and Germany. But it’s still costing publishers revenues. Better advertising and messaging are on the horizon, which might help slow rates still further.

Nearly 30% of internet users of all ages in France will use ad blocking software or tools this year, to limit their exposure to digital ads. Annual growth rates will drop below 10%, however, and continue to decline.

Fewer internet users than expected are blocking ads across the US and Western Europe. For the second year in a row, we’ve downgraded our estimates of the ad blocking population in France, Germany, the UK and US, as well as our forecast for future growth.

Ad blocking and avoidance have their most immediate effects on publishers that miss out on ad revenues they would otherwise have received from serving content to ad blocking users. Ad avoidance is just one of the reasons the average non-walled-garden publisher is struggling with ad-based monetization, and alternative revenue strategies have been gaining importance in recent years.

eMarketer forecasting director Shelleen Shum breaks down our latest figures for ad blocker users and the reality for advertisers and publishers.

For KFC, acknowledging the distracting nature of digital ads and making the experience more enjoyable is key. "That may manifest itself in an 8-hour interactive live stream of a room full of kittens playing with a Colonel-shaped cat climber," said Steve Kelly, director of media and digital at the fast-food chain.

In the latest episode of "Behind the Numbers," analyst Nicole Perrin joins us in the studio to discuss consumer attitudes about advertising and why so many people are resistant to ads. Who are the ad blockers, what are they actively blocking, and what could help turn them around?

As we’ve covered, ad blocking in the US and many parts of western Europe are here to stay. Whether it’s over privacy concerns or the general annoyance over ads ruining user experience, many internet users are not happy with ad loads when they browse the web.

In 2018, an estimated 21.4 million web users in Germany will block ads on a digital device at least monthly—equivalent to 32.0% of internet users and 26.2% of the population.

We estimate that 22.0% of UK internet users will use ad blocking tools this year, compared with 28.7% in France, 32.0% in Germany and 25.2% in the US. Growth in user numbers will slow to single digits for the first time.

Is it still a threat to the advertising industry?

Give them a good reason not to use those tools

Quality content comes at a price

Finding the best way forward

Publishers and advertisers both have to up their game

eMarketer forecasting director Shelleen Shum shares our readjusted estimates for UK internet users who will deploy ad blockers between 2019 and 2021.