... growth of ad blocking software.
The WFA, which represents marketers at major brands who collectively represent circa 90% of global adspend, made the announcement in response to recent research into ad blocking on mobiles.
According to a new study by ad blocking solutions company PageFair there are at least 419 million people worldwide blocking ads on their smartphones.
The WFA has responded to PageFair's findings by attributing the growth of ad blocking technology to consumers who lose patience with online ads. A solution to the problem, the WFA suggests, is better quality ads.
The trade body also proposes that all representative parties in the advertising chain - marketers, publishers and ad tech companies - form a global coalition to regulate ads.
Commenting on the news of the proposal, Jed Hallam, head of digital strategy at WPP Group's media arm Mindshare, said: “The WFA should be applauded for its proposed creation of a global advertising watchdog”.
He warned, however, there are “some gaps in the WFA's proposition which need to be addressed.
According to Mr Hallam: “Firstly, at the end of every ad is a human, so the interests of consumers need to be represented in order to cater to their needs and wants. Secondly distribution isn’t the only concern with online advertising – content also needs to be improved. People don’t block ads solely because they’re invasive or high frequency, they also block them because they are annoying and contain what they deem to be irrelevant content.”
Read the original unabridged TheDrum.com article.