Wrong Problem, Wrong Solution

Yesterday in one of the great insights of the 21st century, a member of a Cannes panel on ad blocking had this to say...

"The root cause of digital ad blocking is digital ads.”

No shit?

Imagine the poor bastards who traveled 5,000 miles, are paying $1,200 a night for a room, and $25 a glass for putrid rosé who had to listen to this twaddle.

By the way, it wasn't some content strategy dipshit from Brooklyn who made this brilliant statement. It was the ceo of The New York Times.

No, you simply cannot make this up.

The panel in question consisted of the following: the above-mentioned ceo, the ceo of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (Inactive Advertising Bureau) and a content strategy dipshit, probably from Brooklyn. The panel was called, "Block You: Why World Class Creativity Will Obliterate Ad Blocking."

As you can see, the theme of the panel was how to overcome the problem of ad blocking.

Maybe I'm a little slow, but it seems to me that there are about 1,000 people on the planet to whom ad blocking is problem and about 7 billion to whom it's a solution.

As usual, the view from inside the beltway was completely ass-backwards. Their solutions went something like this:

1. The creative work needs to be "world class." These guys really need to get their heads out of their asses and take a look at what's going on online. World class? This crap isn't even gym class. Tracking has made the web a direct response medium and in direct response the creative work never gets better. Never.

2. The big bad ad blocking companies need to stop "profiteering." Likewise, not gonna happen. The culture of the web demands that anyone who can make a buck does so. Sure, some ad block entrepreneurs are shaking down marketers. Are we supposed to be shocked that there is sleaze in the online ad culture?

3. Collaboration. Everyone has to get together, hold hands, and put aside their self-interest in the furtherance of a good user experience. Yeah, any minute now.

There is only one solution to the problem. Tracking (stalking) must end. All the problems that the panelists discussed are merely consequences of the pernicious effect of tracking.

Take away tracking/stalking and to a substantial degree the problems evaporate.

Take away tracking/stalking and online advertising will become a minor annoyance like all other advertising instead of an intolerable, disreputable scourge.

Sadly, the online ad industry is willing to address everything but the problem.