Google’s DoubleClick unveils new ad-blocking native ads

Google’s ad-serving giant, DoubleClick, has unveiled new native ads that cannot be eliminated by the ad-blocking tools which so often undermine the business models of online marketers. Jonathan Bellack, DoubleClick’s Product Management Director, indicates that this new approach will be beneficial for online advertisers to create a more engaging experience with new customers. Whereas for customers this could mean seeing more tailored ads and receiving fewer intrusive ones when they are browsing a mobile site. Since the launch of DoubleClick on eBay, the company has seen a 3.6 time increase in ad engagement, with some campaigns registering click-through rates of up to 5%.

DoubleClick, the ad-serving giant owned by Google, has unveiled native ads that defeat ad blockers.

The move comes at a time of growing concern among online publishers that increased use of ad blocking tools by consumers undermines their business model.

More and more people are using mobile platforms for browsing, and every time they reach for their devices they expect to find exactly what they are looking for, quickly looking elsewhere if bombarded by ads.

Some have even resorted to using ad-blocking tools that enable them to view app or website content undisturbed by pop-ups, banners and other flashy graphics. With this in mind, marketers and publishers must take a new approach to advertising, preferably using mobile native ads.

Native ads take many different names like online advertorials, promoted posts or sponsored listings. But at their simplest, they are a form of advertising that is so tightly integrated onto a site that they cannot be eliminated with ad-blocking software.

More than ever before, native ads need to be respectful and relevant to the user’s context in the moment.

“At DoubleClick, we’ve been investing heavily to help publishers address this challenge,” Jonathan Bellack, DoubleClick’s Product Management Director, said in a company’s post. “With DoubleClick Ad Exchange, we’ve built programmatic technologies that scale advertising to wherever users are, in the moments that they’re most likely to respond. We’ve also developed mobile-first, immersive ad formats to keep users engaged and ensure advertiser goals are met. Today we’re excited to bring these two areas of investment together for our DoubleClick customers with programmatic support for native and video formats on mobile.”

The retail giant eBay was one of the first companies to use the Native Mobile Programmatic solutions and since the launch of its DoubleClick native ad unit, the company is seeing an average of 3.6-times increase in ad engagement, with some campaigns registering click-through rates up to 5 percent.

“We’re focused on leveraging DoubleClick’s technical footprint to bring scalability to our native mobile programmatic offering,” says Brian Brownie, Director of U.S. Display Operations and Programmatic Advertising at eBay. “Our success with desktop private marketplaces, backed by eBay insights, has unlocked massive client adoption and this next phase of mobile delivery is a continuation of the effort.”

DoubleClick’s new approach seems to be a win for both its advertisers and customers who see the new ads on a mobile site. For advertisers, it is a way to connect with customers that might have otherwise been unreachable. For customers, it means fewer intrusive ads and more ads that are part and parcel of the content visitors are already seeking.