Tag: shine

Shine Pivots From Network-Level Ad-Blocking To Ad-Filtering

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Israel-based ad-blocking startup Shine has announced it will be pivoting to a new business model. Instead of partnering with mobile carriers, such as Three in Europe and Digicel in the Caribbean, to block display ads and in-app native ads at a network level, the company will rebrand as Rainbow and shift its focus to verify ad quality against industry standards such as LEAN. Ads that pass Rainbow’s verification will be then digitally stamped and pass along to customers of partnering carriers, who have opted in for Rainbow’s ad-filtering service.

What Brands Need To Do
The rebranding of Shine points to an interesting development in the ad-blocking landscape. A recent survey shows that over 40% of millennial internet users worldwide has an ad blocker enabled. Yet, despite the prevalence of ad-blockers among younger demographics, the sudden pivot seems to signal the difficulty that Shine must have come to face by going against all mobile advertisers. Shifting its business model allows the company more room to expand its business and remains a player in the mobile ad-blocking space.

Regardless of the changes on Shine’s part, widespread aversion towards subpar ad experience caused by intrusive and slow ads remains the same among mobile users. Therefore, brands need to take a proactive approach to deal with this growing aversion. One good way to do so is to explore new formats of digital ads, such as sponsoring online events and livestreams and producing branded content.

 

Source: AdWeek

 

Network-Level Adblocker Shine Signs Deal With African Mobile Carrier

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
After signing deals with Caribbean mobile carrier Digicel and European carrier Three Group, Israel-based ad-blocking firm Shine is now reaching a new continent as it strikes a deal with Econet, an African wireless service provider with 40 million subscribers across Zimbabwe, South Africa, Burundi, and Lesotho. Econet will install Shine’s ad-blocking technology, which wipes out all in-app and mobile web ads at the carrier network level, for all of its subscribers. Econet is required by government regulations to provide a choice for customers to opt in or out of Shine’s service.

What Brands Need To Do
Shine’s network-level ad blocker prevents most mobile ads from loading, causing severe issues for digital publishers and, to a lesser extent, to online advertisers and brands that rely on reaching customers via mobile platforms. It remains to be seen if more carriers will pick up this practice, but the fact that three global mobile carriers have been willing to give Shine a try speaks to a larger trend of consumers being fed up with the subpar ad experiences currently plaguing mobile sites and apps.

Therefore, brands need to take a proactive approach to deal with consumers’ growing aversion to ads. One good way to do so is to explore new formats of digital ads, such as sponsoring online events and livestreams and producing branded content. Also, since Shine’s software won’t affect in-feed ads on social networks for now, brands may consider increasing their social ad spend. For more information on how brands can fight the increasing usage of ad-blockers, check out the Ad Avoidance section in our Outlook 2016.

 

Source: AdExchanger

Network-Level Ad Blocker Shine Wants Brands To Pay For Whitelisting Ads

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Shine, an ad blocker that operates on carrier network level, is reportedly looking to charge brands for showing ads on those networks. The company has hired its first Chief Revenue Officer as it seeks to introduce a new feature that charges brands and agencies for letting their ads be seen on sites and apps. Shine has already struck deals with Caribbean carrier Digicel and Europe’s Three Group to wipe out all mobile ads for about 100 million phone subscribers by default unless they opt in to see ads.

What Brands Need To Do
While it remains to be seen if Shine will be picked up by more carriers and how much damage it may cause, it seems likely that this paid-whitelisting approach would make a dent in regional ad buyers’ digital budgets. As we pointed out in our previous write-ups about Shine, when it comes to dealing with the rise of ad blockers, brands need to be pre-emptive by developing new communications strategies and try to reach customers via sponsorships and branded content instead. Also, since Shine’s software won’t affect in-feed ads on social networks, brands may consider increasing their social ad spend.

For more information on how brands can fight the increasing usage of ad-blockers, check out the Ad Avoidance section in our Outlook 2016.

 

Sources: AdWeek

 

European Mobile Carrier Signs With Shine To Block Ads At Network Level

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
The ad-blocking wars are exacerbated as ad-blocking startup Shine announced a new partnership with Three Group, a British wireless carrier that also operates a network in Italy, to block in-app and mobile browser ads at the network level. This marks the first entry of the Israeli-based ad-blocking company in European market, after it signed with Caribbean telecom service provider Digicel last year. Currently, Shine does not offer a way for ad platforms or publishers to pay to gain access to a whitelist.

What Brands Need To Do
It goes without saying that, if popularized, ad-blocking at a network level would be quite devastating to the mobile advertising industry, as well as the brands that rely on reaching customers via mobile platforms. For now, it remains to be seen if more carriers would partner with Shine and adopt ad-blocking at the network level to appeal to consumers’ increasing frustration with mobile ads. Nevertheless, brands need to be pre-emptive in the fight against ad avoidance by developing new communications strategies and try to reach customers via sponsorships and branded content instead.

For more information on how brands can fight the increasing usage of ad-blockers, check out the Ad Avoidance section in our Outlook 2016.

 

Sources: Ad Exchange