Apple makes it easier to block mobile ads - what’s a marketer to do?

With the release of iOS 9, Apple has brought ad blockers to the mobile web. Blockers have been available on desktop computers for some time, but mostly have been used by technically savvy—OK, I’ll say it, nerdy—users. With iOS 9’s new content blocking features, millions of iPhone and iPad users can now download (some free and some paid) ad blockers from the App Store. (I’ll wait for you while you stop reading and eagerly go download one for your phone.)

Apple’s new content-blocking capabilities aren’t explicitly meant for blocking ads, but that’s exactly the feature people are most excited for. Ever wonder why large websites can be a pain to visit because they take such a long time to load? That’s because many are weighted down with intrusive advertisements and tracking scripts with demanding bandwidth requirements. This is felt ever more acutely on mobile devices, especially if you’re near or passed your data allowance for the month. 

So while we all are rejoicing at the prospect of better web surfing, how should companies that have traditionally relied on these ads proceed? The good news is that no one has (yet) invented a PR blocker.

As Jon mentioned a couple weeks ago, the Earned, Owned and Paid era of PR has arrived. And more than ever, PR practitioners have the ability to deliver quantifiable metrics that traditionally have been available only to online advertisers.

Unfortunately, media relations and content marketing aren’t as simple as buying ad space on a website or ad network. The third-party endorsement achieved through media relations is increasingly hard to come by, and the expertise established through thoughtful content marketing is anything but an overnight process.

But these strategies remain powerful tools for reaching audiences and establishing credibility – and now that you have your content-blocking app installed, they are all-the-more important options companies need to start considering.