You can watch the interview in full here, and I’ve also summarised her answers below.
The FT’s innovative approach
While some sites have started to completely block access to anyone using the software, The FT is taking a different approach.
One of multiple strategies, it has recently started to serve a partial view of the site to anyone using ad-blocking software, by blurring or missing out portions of text.
Essentially, this serves as a visual-representation of what ad blocking does to the business revenue overall.
Getting users to understand the impact
Instead of merely shutting out readers, The FT’s strategy aims to get consumers interested and engaged in what is an industry-wide problem.
Adobe estimated that ad-blockers cost publishers nearly $22bn in 2015, and according to Sacha, consumers can often be unaware of the large-scale impact.
A consumer-focused solution
There is no single solution to the problem of ad-blocking, however The Financial Times is striving to bring back the focus onto the consumer.
In doing so, it aims to create a two-way conversation – recognising the pitfalls for both publishers and their audiences – to ultimately find a solution for all.
Sacha is among the expert speakers at Econsultancy’s Get With The Programmatic event in London on September 21.
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