• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, October 1, 2015

Sridhar Ramaswamy, Google’s top advertising executive, told Advertising Week attendees that "crappy ad experiences" are behind the increase in ad-blocking tools -- and that Google, along with the advertising and publishing industries, must fix it.

There are Web sites with good content and Web sites with bad content. "The bad content leads to the rise of ad blockers," Ramaswamy says. "We need to work together to create a definition of an 'acceptable ad.'"

The industry needs to step up and start serving ads that appeal to consumer needs. If I browse the Internet and make a purchase in a store, the retailer should know I made that purchase and stop sending me ads for the same items. Send me ad for a complementary item. For instance, if I buy a cold-weather coat, send me an ad for a scarf or gloves, not the same coat.

The Internet has changed humanity. It delivers information at a moment's notice. It entertains, enables people to buy stuff, connects one person with another. It also helped create a society that expects things for free.

Internet users want free stuff. That's what they are familiar with getting -- but free doesn't always create a positive experience. California pushed itself right into mounds of debt by giving away free money, free medical services, and free food because, well, it's the land of the free. I agree. We should help those in need.

All mankind should have the same opportunities. California's debt crisis remains one example of what happens when those opportunities are misused. Ad blocking is another. The biggest problem for California -- our forefathers founded this free country with something else in mind: freedom. Work hard, give back and take little. And when you do get a little, give a little back. 

Agencies, publishers and brands: if you want the data and information start working for it through better targeting and information in ads. Ad blockers make monetization impossible, challenge attribution and analytics, and will force an industry to step up the use of organic content and product placement as a workaround.

Ever hear the saying you pay for what you get? Apple, Google, Microsoft all give away free content. Facebook does it, too. They expect information in exchange for free stuff. That's the mantra of the Internet. So when ad blockers move in to block those pesky ads, don't be surprised if you start paying for much of free content you get today. For those who think they're giving too much of themselves away on to companies running services on the Internet, stop using it.