News & Updates

Web3, Sustainability, and Pastéis de Nata: AAX goes to We...

The first four days of November 2022 saw the city of Lisbon filled with faces from all over the world […]

November 10, 2022

• Events

Meet Omayra Cruz, SVP Account Management, AAX

“This is an interesting moment for the industry,” says Omayra Cruz. She’s talking to me over Zoom from her home […]

August 9, 2022

• Announcements
• Company
• People

AAX Names Omayra Cruz SVP Account Management

The appointment of Omayra Cruz as SVP Account Management reflects AAX’s increased focus and commitment to customer service excellence AAX, […]

July 6, 2022

• Announcements
• Company
• People

How Do Ad Filterers Vote? Our New Study Finds Out.

We live in a political world. In 2022, politics informs more of our personal lives than ever before. And there’s […]

May 26, 2022

• Data, Studies, Insights

How ambitious are American ad filterers?

We know that the average American ad filterer—ad filterer being the term used to describe a user who has an […]

May 25, 2022

• Data, Studies, Insights

How free-spirited are ad filterers?

No deep dive into the values and politics of American ad filterers—the name given to the 95% of people who […]

May 11, 2022

• Data, Studies, Insights

What lifestyle choices do ad filterers make?

We know that American ad filterers are a highly educated bunch of people. We know they tend, on average, to […]

May 11, 2022

• Data, Studies, Insights

Ad Blocking Users and Traditional Values

When people talk about “values” and “values voters,” they’re often referring to values surrounding tradition: carrying on the attitudes of […]

April 19, 2022

• Data, Studies, Insights

Are Ad Blocking Users Success-Driven?

When we talk about values, and how these values impact and inspire voting habits and political affiliation in any given […]

April 7, 2022

• Data, Studies, Insights

How Selfless Are Ad Blocking Users?

Politics isn’t just about Democrat vs. Republican. Political decisions are predominantly values-based, especially among undecided voters, voters considering a change […]

April 7, 2022

• Data, Studies, Insights

AAX Integrates With Amazon Publisher Services To Facilita...

AAX, the industry leader in permission-based monetization solutions for ad-blocked inventory, now enables media companies and content owners to integrate […]

April 6, 2022

• Announcements
• Company
• Press
• Product

Ad filterers: an educated demographic

Education levels among ad filterers, or the 95% of users that have an ad blocker installed but also consent to […]

March 17, 2022

• Data, Studies, Insights

How old are ad filterers?

They say that age ain’t nothing but a number, but the fact of the matter is: we’re all influenced by […]

March 17, 2022

• Data, Studies, Insights

Where Do Ad Filterers Live?

And what does the location of American ad filterers reveal about their political leanings? The last time we looked at […]

March 10, 2022

• Data, Studies, Insights

What’s the Party Allegiance Breakdown Among American Ad F...

AAX is getting ready to publish another insight-rich report, filled with fascinating findings gleaned from the vaults that the GlobalWebIndex […]

March 8, 2022

• Data, Studies, Insights

Announcing AAX’s New Forthcoming Study!

We know people in the USA are blocking ads. And we know who they are: ad filterers, the affluent, well-educated, […]

March 3, 2022

• Announcements
• Data, Studies, Insights

AAX’s 2021 Roundup!

Let’s be real: 2021 wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. If we’re going with water metaphors, it was more like a stormy […]

December 14, 2021

• Announcements
• Company
• People
• Product

The Ultimate Ad Blocking User Holiday Gift Guide

We know that ad blocking users, and especially ad filterers, who are defined by the GlobalWebIndex (GWI) as “users who […]

December 7, 2021

• Data, Studies, Insights

Why Block Ads? AAX’s New Study Investigates.

There are some questions that haunt the ad space. What motivates people to block ads? What are the reasons that […]

April 27, 2021

• Data, Studies, Insights

Beyond black and white: welcome to the new listings

AAX is pleased to be revising our vocabulary. In the name of both a) dismantling harmful stereotypes and b) enhancing […]

April 13, 2021

• Announcements
• Company
• Product

How COVID shaped ad blocking

March 11, 2021 marked a grim milestone: one year since the World Health organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Since then, […]

April 8, 2021

• Data, Studies, Insights

Surprising links: education and ad blocking

In general, the more educated you are the more likely you are to turn to an ad blocker. People who […]

March 30, 2021

• Data, Studies, Insights

Motivations for ad blocking across gender lines

Popular psychology tells us that men are from Mars and women are from Venus. But when it comes to the […]

March 23, 2021

• Data, Studies, Insights

How does ad blocking motivation change across age groups?

Ad filterers—the 95% of ad blocking users that have an ad blocker installed on their device but consent to be […]

March 18, 2021

• Data, Studies, Insights

Changes in ad blocking motivation since 2017

The world has changed a lot since 2017. Even setting aside the world-shaking COVID-19 pandemic and all that came with […]

March 9, 2021

• Data, Studies, Insights

Thinking outside the browsing experience: privacy concern...

Our new study, Why Block Ads? Behind User Reasons and Motivations will be published in April, but we’ll be teasing […]

March 2, 2021

• Data, Studies, Insights

Personalization, video ads, and blanket ad avoidance: con...

As recently as 2017, think pieces proliferated with headlines like “Why personalised advertising is your lifeline in an age of […]

February 23, 2021

• Data, Studies, Insights

Why block ads? Size, speed, and intrusiveness.

In our last post, we looked at the top three reasons why ad filterers—the 95% of ad blocking users who […]

February 17, 2021

• Data, Studies, Insights

The top three reasons for ad blocking

Last November we released Ad Filterers Online: Purchasing Habits and Media Consumption In The USA, which shed light on the […]

February 9, 2021

• Data, Studies, Insights

Meet AAX: Euan Johnston, AAX’s Business Intelligence Manager

For Euan Johnston, business intelligence is a field that works best in a state of perfect balance. It’s mathematically rigorous, […]

January 26, 2021

• Announcements
• Company
• People

Meet AAX: Rikki Decker, AAX’s VP, Account Management

“Ad tech moves faster than any other industry,” explains Rikki Decker. She’s talking about her deep fascination with all things […]

January 14, 2021

• Announcements
• Company
• People

Ad Filterers Online: Purchasing Habits and Media Consumpt...

Ad filterers are a vital demographic: young, highly-educated, affluent, digital natives that lead the pack when it comes to online […]

November 12, 2020

• Data, Studies, Insights

Why ad filterers make small purchases online.

As we wind down our series recapping AAX’s forthcoming study Ad Filterers Online: Purchasing Habits and Media Consumption In The […]

November 3, 2020

• Data, Studies, Insights

What major purchases do ad filterers make online?

A study conducted by Forbes Insights, in association with Synchrony Financial, “A Split Screen: Online Information and a Human Touch,” […]

October 30, 2020

• Data, Studies, Insights

Cash isn’t king? Ad filterers use mobile payment se...

Ad filterers opt to use services Paypal, Apple Pay, Venmo, Google Pay, Amazon Payments, and Visa Checkout at a rate […]

October 27, 2020

• Data, Studies, Insights

How do ad filterers interact with brands online?

As we discussed in depth in our last post, ad filterers are intrepid brand discoverers, constantly learning, evolving, and seeking […]

October 20, 2020

• Data, Studies, Insights

Enthusiastic purchasers of digital content: ad filterers

Whether it comes to news services, online magazines, study programs, or learning materials… ad filterers want to purchase it. Ad […]

October 20, 2020

• Data, Studies, Insights

Ad filterers + brand discovery: a love story.

Here’s a fact that might surprise you: ad filterers are three times more likely to discover brands from website ads […]

October 15, 2020

• Data, Studies, Insights

What’s behind ad filterers tremendous online engage...

We know that ad filterers—defined as “users who have blocked ads in the past month but discover brands or products […]

October 13, 2020

• Data, Studies, Insights

Ad filterers love gaming consoles. Here’s what that means.

When the New York Times announces that 2020 is “shaping up to be a huge year for gaming,” you know […]

October 8, 2020

• Data, Studies, Insights

How much time do ad filterers spend online?

The issues to be solved include: Identity, data, and privacy; Brand safety and ad fraud; Ad experience and measurement; Programmatic effectiveness.

October 6, 2020

• Data, Studies, Insights

Meet AAX: Hart Gliedman, Director of US Sales

For Hart Gliedman, it all comes down to education. He knows the challenges facing publishers, pays attention to what pain […]

August 5, 2020

• Announcements
• Company
• People

Meet AAX: Otilia Otlacan, Head of Operations

For the last fifteen years, Otilia Otlacan has worked in both start-ups and well-established tech companies, specializing in content monetization […]

August 5, 2020

• Announcements
• Company
• People

Meet AAX: Chirag Shah, Director of Partnerships

For Chirag Shah, ad tech and programmatic are the future. Shah has spent almost fifteen years working in the world […]

August 5, 2020

• Announcements
• Company
• People

Meet AAX: Tim Cronin, VP of Sales

Tim Cronin is undaunted. An industry veteran, he’s still charged by both the thrill of existing in an ever- evolving […]

July 30, 2020

• Announcements
• Company
• People

Meet Scott Schwanbeck, CEO of AAX

On June 8th, AAX ushered in a new phase of growth by welcoming Scott Schwanbeck as CEO. Scott, an industry […]

July 29, 2020

• Announcements
• Company
• People

Acceptable Ads Exchange names Scott Schwanbeck CEO

Industry Vet to Helm Leading Ad Blocking Recovery Exchange New York, NY, – June 30, 2020— Acceptable Ads Exchange (AAX), […]

June 30, 2020

• Announcements
• Company
• People
• Press

What Harvard Business School says about Sizmek and the fu...

In March 2020, three scholars at Harvard Business School—Professor Ayelet Israeli, case researcher Sarah Gulick (Case Research & Writing Group), […]

June 2, 2020

• Thought leadership

What a new study from the New Jersey Institute Of Technol...

To Be Or Not To Be…Tough or Soft Ad blockers: the large, unmissable, revenue-depleting elephant in the room. Already pervasive […]

May 19, 2020

• Thought leadership

Webinar recap: revenue struggles (and monetization soluti...

On April 30th, we partnered with the folks over at AdMonsters to present a webinar. Our goal? To talk a […]

May 7, 2020

• Announcements
• Company
• Events

What are some challenges facing the international ad market?

The issues to be solved include: Identity, data, and privacy; Brand safety and ad fraud; Ad experience and measurement; Programmatic effectiveness.

March 10, 2020

• Thought leadership

AAX early spring forecast: Palm Desert –> Berlin &#...

The next few months see the AAX team crossing oceans and continents to talk about restoring the value exchange between publishers and ad blockers…as well as educating ourselves on trends and innovations and sharing insights.

February 4, 2020

• Announcements
• Company
• Events

Behind the decision-making power of ad blocking users

53% of ad blocking users use the term “decision-maker” to summarize their job description…and 54.9% use the term “senior decision-maker.”

January 28, 2020

• Thought leadership

How to capture the interest of ad blocking users

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.

January 21, 2020

• Thought leadership

Why is this demographic the key to a healthy ad ecosystem?

If you’re curious about ad blocking users and how they’re shaping the future of the ad ecosystem, check out our free report, titled “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ad Blocking Users.”

January 17, 2020

• Thought leadership

10 facts about ad blocking users, Question #10: How do ad...

Since ad blockers are younger, more fluent when it comes to technology, and more comprehensive in their understanding of data collection and usage, it stands to reason that they would be less nervous about privacy issues.

January 14, 2020

• Thought leadership

10 facts about ad blocking users – Question #9: Wha...

The statements that ad blocking users feel best describe their priorities highlight some of ad blocking users most prominent character traits: social awareness, ecological-mindedness, a desire for self improvement, and a need to keep up with social and technological changes.

January 10, 2020

• Thought leadership

10 facts about ad blocking users – Question #8: Wha...

Ad blocking users like endorphins. They prefer running or jogging. They’re also fans of non-gym exercise, a category that encompasses everything from Frisbee golf to parkour

January 7, 2020

• Thought leadership

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ad Blocking Users

Ad blocking users are considered one of the keys in strengthening and revitalizing the ad ecosystem. This is a group […]

January 3, 2020

• Data, Studies, Insights

10 facts about ad blocking users – Fact #7: Ad bloc...

Ad blocking users feel the need for speed. They’re fans of motorsports in general but, when asked what sports they following and regularly watch, 19% of ad blocking users named Formula 1 and 11.4% of ad blocking users brought up MotorGP. These proved more popular than competitors like NASCAR or IndyCar.

December 12, 2019

• Thought leadership

10 facts about ad blocking users – Question #6: Wha...

According to our findings, ad blocking users—the 47% of global users who have an ad blocker installed on their device—are tea lovers first and foremost. This is followed by coffee as the second most consumed beverage.

December 10, 2019

• Thought leadership

10 facts about ad blocking users – Question #5: Whe...

As urban areas grow, it seems they’re not just attracting “prime-age” workers, but also ad blocking users—the demographic we at AAX are so preoccupied with.

December 5, 2019

• Thought leadership

New vendor registration to IAB Europe’s Transparency and ...

Today, AAX announced their approved status as the latest vendor to join IAB Europe’s Transparency and Consent framework.

December 3, 2019

• Announcements
• Company

10 facts about ad blocking users – Question #4: How...

How do ad blocking users feel about pets? Strongly. They love them. In fact, 75% of ad blocking users share their home with at least one furry, feathery, or scaly family member.

December 3, 2019

• Thought leadership

10 facts about ad blocking users – Question #3: Do ...

An understandable fear is that ad blockers stand in the way of brand discovery, and that users who have elected to put a barrier between themselves and the world of advertising will never experience the understanding of what he or she wants. But luckily that fear is unfounded.

November 26, 2019

• Thought leadership

10 facts about ad blocking users – Question #2: Wha...

We decided to consult the mass trove of data that GlobalWebIndex (GWI) keeps about internet behavior in order to tease out some of the particularities of the group. We took our findings and compiled “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ad Blocking Users,” a study that peers into everything from the reason for ad block use (which is what you’re about to read about) to preferences for pets and real estate.

November 22, 2019

• Thought leadership

10 facts about ad blocking users – Question #1: Why...

We decided to consult the mass trove of data that GlobalWebIndex (GWI) keeps about internet behavior in order to tease out some of the particularities of the group. We took our findings and compiled “10 Things You Didn’t Know About Ad Blocking Users,” a study that peers into everything from the reason for ad block use (which is what you’re about to read about) to preferences for pets and real estate.

November 19, 2019

• Thought leadership

Is there a place in the market right now for mid-tier pub...

The short answer? It’s a way to actively support the free web. The long answer? That involves the demographics of ad blocking users, their commitment to journalism and publishing, and the types of ads they want to block.

November 7, 2019

• Events
• Thought leadership

Why would an ad blocking user agree to see… ads?

The short answer? It’s a way to actively support the free web. The long answer? That involves the demographics of ad blocking users, their commitment to journalism and publishing, and the types of ads they want to block.

October 24, 2019

• Events
• Thought leadership

The banner ad celebrates its 25th birthday

On October 27, 1994, the world’s first banner ad appeared on HotWired.com. It’s not a moment that a lot of people think of with fond nostalgia.

October 24, 2019

• Thought leadership

What are Acceptable Ads? A crash course

The AAX team attended the Digiday Publishing Summit in Key Biscayne Florida with a particular mission: instead of talking about AAX, we wanted to take a step back and discuss the Acceptable Ads initiative.

October 17, 2019

• Announcements
• Company
• Events
• Product

Obama, snowboards, and beer: the impact of Bits and Pretzels

This marked the first year AAX headed to Bits and Pretzels, the three-day Munich-based founders festival that famously culminates in a massive networking events on the Oktoberfest grounds.

October 14, 2019

• Announcements
• Company
• Events

Autumn forecast: NYC –> BUD –> LA –> AZ

On September 18th, the AAX team joined with leading minds at the vanguard of programmatic for a day of sharing insight, strategy, and passion-fueled ideas. In other words: we attended World Forum Disrupt Programmatic New York.

October 11, 2019

• Announcements
• Company
• Events

5 subjects of discussion at World Forum Disrupt: Programm...

On September 18th, the AAX team joined with leading minds at the vanguard of programmatic for a day of sharing insight, strategy, and passion-fueled ideas. In other words: we attended World Forum Disrupt Programmatic New York.

October 2, 2019

• Announcements
• Company
• Events

DMEXCO 2019 recap: restoring the value exchange, restorin...

AAX, the Acceptable Ads Exchange, today announced the launch of Blockmeter. Blockmeter is a free tool that enables publishers to measure the potential revenue lift they could generate from displaying Acceptable Ads to the segment of their audience that is willing to see them.

September 19, 2019

• Announcements
• Company
• Events

AAX launches Blockmeter to show publishers how much they ...

AAX, the Acceptable Ads Exchange, today announced the launch of Blockmeter. Blockmeter is a free tool that enables publishers to measure the potential revenue lift they could generate from displaying Acceptable Ads to the segment of their audience that is willing to see them.

June 3, 2019

• Announcements
• Company
• Product

Industry Roundup: May 2019

According to an eMarketer forecast, next year for the first time, ad-spending on private marketplaces will surpass spending on open exchanges. The eMarketer reviews the current state of header bidding, including the adoption of header bidding among US HBIX domains, the share of desktop and mobile header bidding impressions, US programmatic display ad spending and more.

May 30, 2019

• Industry roundups

AAX approved for TAG registry, signaling commitment to a ...

The Acceptable Ads Exchange (AAX), is joining the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG). Acceptable Ads Exchange (AAX) is now “verified by TAG,” and is approved for listing in the TAG Registry of known and trusted players in the digital advertising ecosystem.

May 25, 2019

• Announcements
• Company
• Press
• Product

Industry Roundup: April 2019

MediaPost reports of a new form of malvertising that only impacts ads served via programmatic exchanges; the overwhelming majority of attacks occurr on mobile devices. eMarketer podcast covers how payments are performed in the programmatic display world.

April 26, 2019

• Industry roundups

Industry Roundup: March 2019

According to a recent eMarketer article, 2019 is expected to a “milestone year” in global advertising, as two momentous events will take place through the course of it: firstly, for the first time, spending on digital advertising in the US will surpass spending on traditional advertising (approximately 129 billion USD to 109 billion USD), and secondly, another first, the collective market share of the online duopoly is expected to shrink, mostly due to Amazon’s rapidly growing US advertising business.

March 28, 2019

• Industry roundups

Tim Cronin, formerly of PubMatic, DoubleClick, joins AAX

The Acceptable Ads Exchange (AAX), providing advertisers a unique access to a premium, tech-savvy audience and allowing publishers to monetize on an untapped audience, is proud to announce the addition of Tim Cronin as Vice President of Sales.

March 4, 2019

• Announcements
• Company
• People
• Press