by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, June 15, 2017

What type of person blocks ads? Kantar Media has created a profile. It turns out ad blockers are more likely to be male, less concerned about following rules, and heavily reliant on the Internet for entertainment, information, and content.

Manish Bhatia, North America CEO of Kantar Media, isn’t surprised to learn through the data of these behavioral traits. He has a 20-year-old son in college who fits the profile. “He has done research on ad blocking and knows the ins and outs of the Internet and where to find sources for content,” he said.

Similar to Bhatia’s son, young adults are more likely to use an ad blocker, per data from Kantar Media. Those between the age of 18 and 24 are 109% more likely than the average to use an ad blocker. The percentage significantly drops from there. Adults age 25 to 34 are 32% more likely than average to use an ad blocker. And adults age 35 to 44 are only 8% more likely than the average to use an ad blocker.

And not surprisingly, males have a higher propensity to block ads. In fact, males are 28% more likely to have downloaded an ad-blocking app and 27% more likely to use it, compared with females who are 26% and 25% less likely, respectively, according to data released Thursday.

“The majority surveyed do not have a negative view of advertising,” Bhatia said. “People don’t mind seeing ads; they just want to improve their experience online.”

Daily behavior and attitude play a major part of the type of person who will block ads. The data from Kantar Media suggests those who use an ad blocker are 80% more likely to be less concerned about rules and are 43% more likely to use technology when it helps them better manage their time. Those who use an ad blocker also are 27% more likely to have concerns of how other perceive them.

They will likely consider the brand’s reputation before making a purchase, are 30% more likely to view quality as an important attribute, are 74% are more likely to be influenced by peer recommendations or reviews, and are 25% more likely to be influenced by promotions or discounts.

Ad blockers are very social. In fact, they are 134% more likely to be social online, using the Internet for email, instant messaging, and social and professional networking. They also are 121% more likely to use the Internet to search for information, as well as 145% more likely use the Internet for entertainment and leisure, streaming music, podcasts or video content across devices.

Those who use an ad blocker are 173% more likely to download content from the Internet, from music and movies to TV shows and games.

The profile is part of a larger study. Kantar Media interviewed 5,213 connected adults over the age of 18 across Brazil, China, France, the UK, and the United States. Connected adults are defined as those who have access to the internet via both a PC or laptop at home or work, and own a either a smartphone or a tablet. The interviews were conducted by Lightspeed on behalf of Kantar Media between October 19, 2016 and December 14, 2016.

MediaPost.com: Search Marketing Daily

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