Digital Innovations Awesome List: Ad Blocking, Algorithms, and More

At Centro, we know that keeping up with the trade pubs and latest trends can be tough and time consuming. To make that easier, we’ve compiled all the articles, reports, and other bits of awesomeness you may have missed, but should definitely read. Enjoy our latest list below!

Ad Blockers Are Employed by 10% of U.S. Desktop Users, comScore Finds

Adoption of ad blocking software remains flat when comparing mid-year to year-end 2015 numbers. It’s interesting to note that comScore’s report offers a more conservative adoption rate than reports by Adobe and PageFair, which recently stated that US ad blocking rates are 17%.

Retail Brands are Testing the Power of Messaging Apps

Sephora partnered with Kik to launch a one-to-one chat experience with its consumers. The service provides reviews, tips and recommendations, as well as the ability to buy products directly in the app. Digital savvy brands are looking toward messaging apps as a way to stay relevant to the mobile-first generations.

Algorithms are Being Tweaked and the Idea of “Free” Social is Dying

Facebook has been a pay-to-play environment for brands for a while, but now Instagram and Twitter are following suit. The bottom line: to succeed in social, the focus needs to be on creating content that will make an impact and applying a solid paid strategy that will make is soar.

Facebook Adds Video Ads to Articles

Facebook has set the bait and added video ads to Instant Articles in the hopes of enticing more publishers to join. Instant Articles enables easier access to a variety of news sources, along with faster load times for all types of content. Facebook rivals have already jumped in with alternatives to Instant Articles, like Google’s “Accelerated Mobile Pages”.

Mobile First? New Research Says ‘Not So Fast’

This article’s content may seem like a ‘no duh’ at first, but it contains some important considerations for marketers to keep in mind as to when and why mobile might be the right—or wrong—strategy for a given product or audience.

Publishers See Rising Premium on Mobile Advertising

A rising demand for mobile advertising opportunities is facing limitations, specifically the smaller screen’s ability to offer as many units as desktop display environments. Accordingly, publishers are now leaning towards creating more premium ad units that better enhance the mobile user’s experience.

MRC Proposes Mobile 'Viewable' Guidelines, Says Newsfeeds Remain Vexing

The MRC, as promised, finally released guidelines for mobile viewability which essentially mirror desktop standards, except for some differences for mobile newsfeeds.

With Its Total Audience Measurement Rollout Delayed, Nielsen Will Share More Connected TV Data
In a move that shows even further proof of the evolving TV and video landscape, Nielsen announced that beginning later this month, it will make brand-level data available from connected TV devices through its TV panel. The next phase will focus on identifying the apps viewers use to watch content on these devices.

Microsoft Gives Marketers Video Ratings Data On Par with TV
As part of the Microsoft Pulse service, the company is rolling out new technology for traditional marketers to rate ‘sentiment’ and ‘performance’ of messages in online video campaigns. The data gives media buyers, creative teams, and market researcher’s insight into what viewers think about their video ads.

Digital Audiences Become the MVP of TV Sports Sponsorships
With all the platforms and devices consumers have access to these days, it’s no surprise sports sponsorships have started to extend beyond live programming.