Friends, it is the advertiser who speaks to you, not the popularizing journalist: the growing tendency of advertisements to infiltrate places that in the past were free from their annoying presence has become worrying. Advertisements were once "limited" to commercial posters, newspapers, TV and radio. With the change in media consumption habits, that market is facing a decline (slower for generalist radio, 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.
The “Second World War 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 small amount more, avoiding annoying advertising. However, this abundance of offers is leading to a fragmentation of the market, similar to what occurred in the music industry years ago (and fortunately 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 will not pay 30 fees, no matter how small, to keep 30 different streaming services running. 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 precaution: "omnipresent" 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 hassle 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 subscriptions for high-quality content. Others seek donations through micro transactions. The worst simply write worse, or misleading, or sensationalist news to continue to stay afloat, perhaps helped bygenerative 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 (i.e. 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 can see public transport covered with images even on the windows, obstructing natural light and views without respect for paying passengers. We see them more and more numerous on bus shelters, at the edges of a pitch (one on top of the other, as if forming a wall). On buildings, everywhere.
On every object someone sees a profit opportunity. Even shopping bags, packaging and 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 exceeded, society is destined for invasion.
When will we see fruit "branded" directly on the peel with a logo? What about buying lower priced 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 Carbon, seems perfect for tracing the parable of a world that "sells itself" to the highest bidder. One day we could distinguish social class from how much one can live without giving up advertising. We'll 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 in which access to what has been public, free and open may 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 to be 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.
