Ad blocking users are considered one of the keys in strengthening and revitalizing the ad ecosystem. After all, this is a group that bends the rules of brand discovery, prioritizes being well-informed, and understands the issues surrounding privacy.
Our study “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ad Blocking Users,” gleaned from consulting the data treasure trove at the GlobalWebIndex (GWI), touches upon all of these and more—you can check out the study, which is available for free download.
We limited the scope of our study to touch upon some of the most pertinent, surprising, and weird facts about ad blocking users (did you know they have a thing for energy drinks and motorsports?) but there was some fascinating data that simply couldn’t make it’s way into our report.
That’s why we wanted to talk about that extra data now.
An Overwhelmingly Curious Demographic
One of the fascinating extra categories that ad blocking users were queried on has to do with how they relate to the wider world. And, unsurprisingly for an overwhelmingly curious demographic, the respondents were eager to learn and experience.
For example, 76.6% agreed with the statement “It is important to stay in touch with what is going on in the world.”
In other words, more than three out of four ad blocking users keep up with current events. They take the time to find out what’s happening in the world—a habit that can have major benefits.
Jeff Wilser reports that a healthy pattern of checking the news can enhance everything from your social life to your bank balance, writing “Guys who excel at work generally have an excellent grasp of current events,” says executive coach Bruce Tulgan, of RainmakerThinking—i.e., a smart company will promote an informed, intellectually curious employee over a clueless dullard any day.”
Unsurprisingly, the ad blocking demographic also overwhelmingly agrees with the statement “I am interested in other cultures and countries.” This interest also has noted benefits, both personally and economically. The 72.2% that claim interest in other cultures and countries are probably more likely to land a good job, especially if they begin cross-cultural encounters early.
According to the The Guardian:
Global awareness and international collaboration during the formative years results in more rounded individuals, encouraging our pupils to see things from different perspectives and helping them to make informed decisions, acquiring transferable skills that will be useful to them and will remain with them for life. According to the Association of Graduate Recruiters companies cannot find enough applicants with the requisite skills to operate in an international market place, indicating that greater efforts by schools in fostering global awareness and international collaboration are needed to best prepare our students – and ourselves – for life in the 21st century. (Source)
Ad blocking users aren’t just armchair explorers satisfying their curiosity at the click of a cursor, however. They also like to live in highly stimulating environments that push them to learn and grow.
- 72.1% agree with the statement “I like to be surrounded by different people, cultures, ideas, and lifestyles”
- 70.6% agree with the statement “I like to explore the world around me”
If the advantages to curiosity about current events and other cultures is notable, then the benefits of existing in a multicultural, exploratory environment are newsworthy—especially when it comes to careers and business.
Forbes reports that multicultural, diverse businesses produce 19% more revenue. The reasons for this revenue boost are myriad.
[…] diversity is not just a metric to be strived for, it is actually an integral part of a successful revenue generating business. Of course, this makes sense because diversity means diversity of minds, ideas, and approaches — which allows teams to find a solution that takes into account multiple angles the problem, thus making the solution stronger, well rounded and optimized. Therefore, diversity is key for company’s bottom line.
Ad blocking users exist within the arena of diversity—their day-to-day embraces the “diversity of minds, ideas, and approaches” that it takes to augment that bottom line.
It seems like this dynamic demographic, with its curiosity, diversity, and approach to staying well-informed, might just have figured out the roadmap to success.
- Thought leadership
