In September, Google Chrome blocked Adobe Flash ads, revealing its preference for HTML5. For the 51.74% of internet users who currently use Google Chrome, this means more than 90% of all rich media ads on desktop will now automatically pause by default, according to research from Sizmek. Only HTML5 rich media ads will continue to work fully on Google Chrome.
The Flash block is an improvement for users; it will conserve the battery life of devices and reduce the spread of malware. Flash won’t die out overnight, but this shift towards HTML5 will shake up the digital advertising industry.
The impact on digital advertising
We’ve prepared for this change, hiring extra HTML5 experts as well as re-training our Flash developers to accommodate the shift. In the long term, the Flash block will be good news for digital advertising. Developers will be forced to use one common language (HTML5) for rich media banner ads, so new developments will take place at a faster rate.
Global brands that did not anticipate the Flash ad block should consider upgrading all Flash-based ads and campaigns to HTML5, quickly. Flash was always widely accepted in the mainstream advertising industry, in comparison to HTML, but times are changing.
It’s not just Chrome that’s turning its back and blocking Flash; Mozilla Firefox also banned Flash plugins to reduce the spread of malware; Apple has never supported Flash on the iPhone and iPad; Amazon has banned them from the platform; and Facebook security has even called for Adobe to kill-off Flash completely in favour of HTML5.
The benefits of HTML5
On paper HTML5 has many benefits, including increased SEO rankings, adaptable assets for both desktop and tablet, embedded video without plugins, geolocation, better protection against infection and quicker machine driven testing. A detailed list of pros and cons can be found here.
The only stumbling block before was that Flash was widely accepted in digital advertising and HTML5 wasn’t. Obviously, this is changing.
Due to the gradual removal of Flash from major ad platforms, we now lean even more heavily towards HTML5 and it’s incumbent on global brands to efficiently adapt their Flash assets accordingly.
Adar Cohen is account director at Freedman International
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