Free content and services are being put at risk as almost one in seven (15 per cent) British adults online are currently using ad blocking software – mainly because they find online ads interruptive or annoying.

This is according to the Internet Advertising Bureau UK Ad Blocking report, conducted by YouGov, who conducted a survey of 2,057 GB online adults in June 2015. Over one in five (22 per cent) admitted having downloaded the software at some point.

Key findings of the report:
Ad blocking is more prevalent among men and 18-34 year olds
• Only half of ad blockers do so primarily to block all ads
• Main motivation is to block ‘interruptive’ or ‘annoying’ ads
• Nearly half of adults online are unaware that ads fund content at little or no cost
Men (22 per cent) are currently more than twice as likely to block ads as women (9 per cent). It’s most prevalent among 18-24 (34 per cent) and 25-34 year olds (19 per cent). Regionally, people in the North and Scotland (both 19 per cent) are the most likely to be doing so.
Only just over half (52 per cent) of those who’ve used the software said their main motivation was to block all ads; 12 per cent said it was to block certain types of ads, 11 per cent say only to block ads from certain websites.
Ads are most likely to be blocked because they interrupt what people are doing (cited by 73 per cent) or the design is annoying (55 per cent) – e.g. bright colours, pop-ups etc. Over half (54 per cent) do so because ads slow down their web browsing experience. Nearly half (46 per cent) say it’s because the ads aren’t relevant.
Less than half (44 per cent) of British adults online who responded said that they were aware that most websites are free – such as social networks, email, news, music streaming services – because they’re funded by advertising. Thus, when an individual blocks ads, the site doesn’t receive ad revenue for that user.
Men (52 per cent) are much more likely to be aware of this than women (36 per cent). Awareness also decreases with age – from 59 per cent of 18-24s to 36 per cent of people 55+.
However, only 10 per cent are less likely to block ads after being made aware that ads fund free content.
Two-thirds (66 per cent) of all respondents would still prefer to access free content and have no ads. Only one in five (21 per cent) prefers free content in return for having ads. Just 3 per cent would prefer to pay for content in return for not having ads.
“When it comes to a free and an ad-free internet, a lot of consumers want to have their cake and eat it,” said IAB’s CEO, Guy Phillipson. “However, those unaware that most online services are free – or cost very little – because sites make money from showing visitors ads, could be in for a shock if websites start charging for access because ad blocking reduces their revenue from advertising. The bottom line is that if the web didn’t have ads, most sites could only exist by charging subscriptions.”
Among those currently using ad blocking software, 80 per cent are doing so on laptops, 46 per cent on desktop PCs. Less than one in five (19 per cent) is blocking ads on tablets or mobiles.

Amazon has launched its one-hour delivery service, Prime Now, for select areas of London and said it expects to expand the program to additional cities in the United Kingdom by the end of 2015. It will offer one-hour delivery on over ten thousand items through a mobile app.

For an extra fee of £6.99, Amazon Prime members can have orders worth £20 pounds or more delivered in one hour, according to its UK website. “This is just the beginning. London is our first Prime Now city in the UK and we are already working on making Prime Now available in more postcodes in London and beyond,” said Christopher North, managing director of Amazon UK, in a statement. Amazon said it will offer free two-hour to same-day window deliveries between 8 a.m. and midnight.

The launch in London is the first time Prime Now is available outside of the United States, where it began offering the service six months ago.

Amazon Prime, the flagship membership service that launched a decade ago, has become key to Amazon’s growth and a vital testing ground for new services ranging from TV and on-demand video to delivery-by-drone. The ecommerce company said Prime’s wordwide paid membership grew 53 per cent last year.

Prime Now is made available through Amazon Logistics, Amazon’s technology and logistics platform that empowers independent local, regional and national delivery companies across the UK to deliver Amazon parcels to customers seven days a week. Amazon Logistics’ delivery station in East London will serve as the first hub for delivery of Prime Now orders

LAST CHANCE FOR EARLY BIRD TICKETS TO INTERACT LONDON

On 20 - 21October 2015, Interact London will be descending on the beautiful settings of The British Museum for two days of cutting edge talks from some of the leading thinkers in the UX, IA and Design world. Among the names confirmed so far are the great minds of Anjan Chatterjee, Todd Wilkens, and Steve Portigal. All of the confirmed speakers can be seen here and they will be unveiling lots more in the coming weeks so make sure you keep an eye on Interact London’s twitter for regular updates.

This is your last chance to grab your Early Bird tickets, with the offer available until Thursday 30^th April with two day passes available for just £300* + the usual fees and VAT. Grab yours today, here >>

Ticket cost covers refreshments including pastries on arrival, teas and coffees throughout the day and buffet lunch.
If you have any questions, are interested in speaking at Interact London or would like to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact interactconf@nomensa.com or call 0117 929 7333