Friends, it is the advertiser who speaks to you, not the popularizing journalist: the growing tendency of advertisements to infiltrate places that were previously free from their annoying presence has become worrying. Advertisements were once "limited" to posters, newspapers, TV and radio commercials. With the change in media consumption habits, that market is heading towards a decline (slower for general interest radios, but equally inevitable) towards obsolescence.
2021 represented the overtaking of internet TV over broadcast TV. A symbol that ratifies only one trend: by now most of the audio and video contents we consume today are offered by websites or streaming services, which represent a cross between the possession of physical contents and the passive endurance of endless advertisements. But that won't be enough.
"World War II Against Advertising" is on the horizon
Today, as mentioned, you can switch from one streaming service to another, enjoying a vast choice of content and, by paying a little extra, avoiding annoying ads. However, this abundance of offers is leading to a fragmentation of the market, similar to what happened in the music industry years ago (and thankfully ended, in that case). Only in Italy we have Discovery, Netflix, Disney+, Apple+, Paramount, Prime Video, TimVision, NowTV, Infinity and I'm certainly forgetting some.
The result? With the proliferation of services it becomes increasingly difficult for the user to decide which one to choose. Not only that: users won't end up paying 30 fees, no matter how small, to keep 30 different streaming services going. Many services are already experiencing revenue losses. And this produces a downward spiral, because there is a lack of resources to create new content. To deal with this situation, some are already trying to offer free or low-cost services, but with a small caveat: the "ubiquitous" advertising is back.
One stage that tastes like déjà vu, and that for this he will unleash a new war, the second of its kind.
Do you remember the first one? It ended. And with a winner.
The "first world war against advertising" was fought online, and saw the "victory" of users against intrusive ads on websites. Thanks to Ad Blockers, often open source and free, those who don't want trouble can surf the Internet without being constantly interrupted. Now sites that rely solely on advertising are seeing a decrease in their revenue and are looking for other ways to monetize their content. Some, virtuously, are offering premium content subscriptions. Others seek donations through micro transactions. The worst simply write worse, or misleading, or sensationalist news to stay afloat, perhaps aided by thegenerative artificial intelligence.
It depends on the audience, in the end. From his availability. In summary, Ad Blockers have become an essential tool for surfing the Internet without being interrupted by intrusive advertisements. And they have already changed, even if not completely, the business model.
World War on Advertising: What Happens Now?
Even when cornered on the web, far from being totally defeated (ie regulated, moderated), advertising tends to find its way into even more hateful and repugnant formats. It invades public spaces, depriving us of our tranquility and, where present, of the architectural beauty of our cities. Around you see public transport covered with images even on the windows, blocking natural light and the view without respect for paying passengers. We see them in increasing numbers on bus shelters, on the edge of a pitch (one on top of the other, as if to form a wall). On buildings, everywhere.
On every item, someone sees an opportunity to make money. Even shopping bags, packages, food are branded and used as walking advertising. And it's surrounding us, it wants to get to us somehow. If the "ideological" limit to the presence of advertising is crossed, society is destined for invasion.
When will we see fruit "branded" directly on the peel with a logo? What about buying cheaper shoes, as long as they have a bigger brand? And the clothes?
A "branded" and unequal society
A rather extreme and dystopian TV series, Altered Carbonseems perfect for tracing the parable of a world that "sells itself" to the highest bidder. One day we could distinguish the social class from what manages to live without giving up advertising. We will see people dressed in "subscription" clothes, and people turned into walking billboards why can't they afford things without ads? The prospect, provocative today, may not be far from future reality.
We are entering an era where access to what has been public, free and open will become increasingly limited and commercialized. We will also have to face a "new wave" online, from streaming services to search bars, and it will continue even more invasive between virtual reality e augmented reality. I'm not kidding, trust an advertiser: one day we may have to pay for a clean view out the window, a simple shopping or even just a monitor screen free of mandatory garbage.
We are in a constant struggle with monetizers and have to use technology to counter them, or pay to get rid of them. If you have reached the end of this article, perhaps you are part of the Resistance.
