Three of the nation's largest advertising industry associations are proposing a self-regulatory system to banish online advertising formats that drive consumers to install ad-blocking software on their computers and mobile devices.

In an Oct. 11 letter to the Coalition for Better Ads, the CEOs of the three associations urge the group to adopt the "Better Ads Experience Program" framework, by which companies involved in digital advertising would pledge to comply with new digital ad standards.

"Because the coalition's research identified clear correlations between a set of poor advertising experiences and consumers' propensity to download and implement ad-blocking software, we believe it is urgent for the industry to coalesce around a program to realize these initial standards fully in practice across the marketing-media ecosystem," the three CEOs said.

More than a dozen associations, advertisers and publishers formed CBA in 2016 to develop industry solutions to consumer complaints about online advertising. More people are installing ad-blockers to filter out annoying ads. Companies are taking notice, with Google announcing in June it would add an ad-blocker to its popular Chrome web browser.

The growing use of ad blockers poses a series threat to many online sites that rely on advertising revenue. By publishing an open letter to CBA, the three association CEOs hope to prod both the coalition and the advertising industry into action.

"We are taking this proposal public, in order to build support from the industry at large, to obtain their guidance on how it might be improved, and gain agreement from the coalition's board," they said.

Marla Kaplowitz, CEO of 4A's; Bob Liodice; CEO of the American Association of National Advertisers; and Randall Rothenberg, CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, signed the letter. http://bit.ly/2ymEGgF

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