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Get Ready for the Sound of Silence: Google Expands “Mute This Ad”

Get Ready for the Sound of Silence: Google Expands “Mute This Ad”

Almost everyone has had the experience of browsing an online store, lingering for a moment or two over an item that was kind of appealing, and moving on without making a purchase, only to have ads for that appealing item show up time and time again – even when you’re not shopping at all, but are instead using the web for work or to read the news or do your banking. These ads are called targeted ads, and they’re a staple in the digital marketing toolbox.

Targeted ads work, and they work well, with a conversion rate that’s nearly double that of display ads that are deployed on a more general basis. There’s only two problems with targeted ads: many shoppers find them creepy, creating an impression that a brand is following them around the internet, and they are far, far too numerous.

[Tweet “Google allows users to mute ads they don’t like across all devices…”]

Google introduced its “Mute This Ad” feature in 2012 – long before targeted ads were used as much as they are today. This month, Google announced a significant upgrade to “Mute This Ad”, allowing users to mute ads they don’t like across all devices with a single click.

With this change, “Mute This Ad” will work inside apps, as well as on any website that uses DoubleClick. The change is also expected to impact other Google products, such as YouTube.

Once an ad is blocked, all hope is not lost. Users who revisit the website responsible for the ad within a 90 day period may be served the ad again. However, users who are logged into their Google accounts when they mute the ads can make the silencing permanent.

At this point, brands are going to have to make decisions about the relative value of their targeted ad campaigns. The only way to do this in a sensible fashion is to pay attention to your data. Review your traffic sources and make sure you understand how well your targeted ads were performing prior to this change, and then revisit this data on a regular basis. If performance falls below an acceptable level, redirecting the funds you’ve committed to targeted advertising to another channel makes sense.

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Creative Director/Senior Designer

Tom DiGrazia

With over a decade and a half of professional design experience, Tom brings his knowledge of design principles and focus on user experience to every aspect of his contribution to TTG. Paying special attention to each client’s brand, personalized needs and individual interests, he strives to create compelling concepts utilizing intuitive and highly-refined design solutions. In addition to traditional and digital design work and oversight at TTG, Tom also boasts a wide portfolio of web development projects with the company, allowing him to stretch his CSS and HTML skills across multiple platforms and disciplines. He feels that being a designer in the digital landscape of websites, eCommerce solutions, email marketing platforms and social media, it is important to understand the code that goes into these areas as it assists his ability to tailor designs specifically targeted to achieve the best end result and further builds understanding and communication with backend development teams.

In his off hours, Tom is an avid pop culture enthusiast, staying up to date on the latest shows, films, comics and games. He can also typically be found taking part in a whole host of artistic activities that help him further stretch his creative legs. Regardless of the activity, Tom is always accompanied by his dog, Eli, and his cat, Tib.

Specialties:
Design, Photography, Illustration, Digital Imagery Manipulation, Wesbite Development

Platforms/Tools:
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom, HTML/CSS, Wordpress

Analyst/Strategist

Courtney Dumont

As Senior Marketing Strategist & Analyst at Technology Therapy Group, Courtney is energized by the ability to flex both her left and right brain daily. Courtney discovered her passion for Marketing at Bryant University, where she spearheaded research on students’ perceptions of Social Media Marketing for her Honors Capstone Project. After graduating Bryant in 2012, she joined the Technology Therapy team, where she’s honed her skills in social media, search and social advertising, email marketing, SEO, and more.

Since joining the team, Courtney has created digital marketing strategies and managed campaigns for clients across the country, ranging from plastic surgery centers, to jewelry stores, to construction companies. With a cohesive, cross-channel approach and a focus on data-driven decision making, she has increased their leads by up to 217%. But Courtney doesn’t leave her zeal for social media at the office; she also runs a local foodie Instagram account with her husband to document their meals across Rhode Island and beyond. Check them out: @hoppilyfed.

Specialties:
Marketing Strategy, Data Analysis, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Social Media

Platforms/Tools:
Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Facebook Creator Studio, Instagram, Klaviyo, Mailchimp, Emma Mail, Google Data Studio, WordPress, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Microsoft Office