Ad Coalition Aims to Improve Consumer Experience Via New Global Standards

U.S. and European advertising, media and technology organizations announced Thursday the formation of a coalition to develop new global standards for online ads. In a joint news release, the 17-member Coalition for Better Ads -- including the Association of National Advertisers, Google, Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) and Washington Post -- said it will create "consumer-based, data-driven standards ... to improve the consumer ad experience," develop technology to implement such standards and solicit consumer and business feedback. "Members recognize that there is room for improvement with the current online advertising, as indicated in part by the emergence of ad blocking,” said Nancy Hill, CEO of American Association of Advertising Agencies, another member. She said the ad industry needs to find out why consumers aren't responding to such ads and fix it. In a speech last week, IAB CEO Randall Rothenberg criticized the ad-blocking industry, but conceded the ad industry hasn't responded to increasing consumer dislike and distrust of online ads (see 1609090057). NAI CEO Leigh Freund said in the release that when consumers have a bad experience with ads, it affects publishers, ad tech companies, agencies and advertisers. Fixing the issue "in a structured way" will put consumers first and hold the industry accountable, she said. Other coalition members are BVDW Germany, Digital Context Next, Direct Marketing Association, European Publishers Council, GroupM, IAB-Europe, IAB-Tech Lab, News Media Alliance, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and World Federation of Advertisers.