Advertisements are common on the web. They're the lube that drives the gears of the internet. While they are here to stay, many people are disliking them.
There are options internet users can use. For example, installing ad blockers or browser plugins dedicated to block ads. But still, not everyone is into those things. As a result, consumers are increasingly frustrated with ads that disrupt their experience, interrupt content and slow browsing.
The Coalition for Better Ads was created in September 2016 by Google and international trade associations and companies involved in online media.
The coalition aims to improve consumers' experience with online advertising by leveraging consumer insights and cross-industry expertise to develop and implement new global standards for online advertising that address consumer expectations.
In September 2017, Microsoft joins the coalition.
"At Microsoft, we believe in supporting and collaborating with the online advertising industry to develop standards that make the digital ecosystem function better for consumers, marketers and publishers," said Rik van der Kooi, corporate vice president at Microsoft.
"Microsoft is committed to working with our industry partners and the Coalition for Better Ads to continue the development and implementation of standards that will have a positive impact on consumers and the entire online advertising community."
The idea behind the Coalition for Better Ads is that industry stakeholders, from browser creators to publishers and advertisers, would rather give up some of the least-liked ad formats on their own terms than see consumers install their own independent ad blocking software with less forgiving rules.
The group's members also include Google, Facebook, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Axel Springer, Publicis Groupe, Criteo, WPP's GroupM, Thomson Reuters, The Washington Post as well as the Interactive Advertising Bureau and the Association of National Advertisers.
The coalition has been working on standards. In March 2017 for instance, the coalition released its initial set of Better Ads Standards based on research of more than 25,000 consumers in North America and Europe. The group rated 104 ad experiences for desktop and mobile web in an effort to further create better standards.
Companies have already begun to take action.