Ben Barokas, Co-Founder and CEO, Sourcepoint

Since the early days of online advertising, no conversation about the state of the industry, or the plight of digital publishers specifically, has been complete without a reference to monetization. The word “monetization” is central to the digital media ecosystem and – like the mythical Midas Touch – it evokes the concept of transforming objects to gold, resources to revenue.

But – as King Midas himself discovered – the ability to turn resources, including digital materials and online content to riches, does have its downsides. As publishers have emphasized monetization, online audiences have grown increasingly disillusioned with a user experience that seems to place maximizing advertising revenues above consumer preference, and users are turning to ad blockers in frustration.

The words we choose can be highly impactful and as a result, sometimes, with a simple change in terminology, conversation and attitudes can be shifted and dialogue elevated to a higher level. Read More