How brands can still make an impact in a ad-free world.

We spend a-lot of time in the digital world.

But this week, my digital world was slightly different to yours. It was faster, streamlined and there was a whole less clutter.

It was ad-free.

Funnily enough, brands actually made more of an impact on me - not less. I decided to go completely ad-free from my top five apps. The ones I can’t go without.

• I've been listening to ad-free Spotify for the past 2 years. No ads.
• I've recently signed up to YouTube Red for the next few months for free. No ads.
• I watch a-lot of Netflix. No ads.
• I use Safari to browse for everything. This is where I tell you that like 1 in 4 of young Australians, I’ve installed an ad-blocker (for the week). No ads.
• Yes, I'm addicted to Facebook too. Like a-lot of people. But again, ad blocker. No ads.

Note: Yes, to the jokers, I know I'm on LinkedIn a fair bit too - but let's leave that.

Is the above experience something normal? For the moment, probably not – only a few gamers would be running a full stack of ad-free. But this may change soon. Over 7 mil Australians watch Netflix. Over 1 mil use premium Spotify. Increasingly, young Australians are using ad-blockers. So maybe I'm not too removed from reality.

Maybe it wouldnt't matter anyway. Ernst and Young's latest data suggest that 9 out of 10 people who can skip or avoid ads…do.

So, combine all of the above and it’s clear – brands must find new ways to cut through.

Throughout my ad-free week I've found that brands can still play a big role - and enhance the experience.

This centers around redefining the value exchange.

No more banner ads, no more pre-rolls or high impact executions. Find a way to build an actual story and connection.

Here's how a few smart brands did:

Connect your brand with what matters to your customer

All brands should know their customer inside out before they advertise. They need to know what a customer likes, what motivates them, what content they like to consume.

Taking stock of this is important – because finding where your brand can align to these motivations or content, can create a more meaningful, lasting connection with the customer.

What content are people watching that aligns to your brand values? What website is creating content that fits seamlessly with your brand?

One example that really stuck with me – being NBA opening week was one of the new rookies pushing a set of gamer headphones. The synergy here is to align the cultures of basketball and e-sports gaming together. Previously, I’d never heard of the brand – but the fact one of my favorite upcoming rookies was speaking about it made an impact. The headphones are on their way to my house right now.

Give the customer something first, don’t just take.

Unfortunately, a-lot of brands still run their digital advertising with the thought that everyone is going to engage with their ads. Who wouldn’t want to click on this! The answer is...not many, if any.

In the new value exchange, people don't just want something first, they expect it. So, if you are a brand that does something interesting, show me. Teach me something useful. Build a connection first, and then try and sell me the product.

Be careful though. Crap content that is out of place and not relevant sucks. Like above, make sure it fits to your brand.

A good example that keeps making an impact this week is Samsung - where they have been able to find clever ways to connect their new Samsung 8 to lifestyle and tech sites. They lead with culture first, rather than product - and although I'm all about the new iPhone X - it's certainly has me putting another phone into the consideration set.

Provide a fantastic mobile experience

I don't have to give you the latest Google stats to show the amount of people searching for products overall is increasing, and those searching for your brand or product is likely to be increasing too. More people are visiting your site everyday. So don't blow it. This is your free hit, so to speak - giving you 100% share of voice to say whatever you want.

Too many times I've gone to a mobile website this week only to leave immediately. The experience is too slow. I don't get what I want. The quicker brands realize that this is one of their most important advertising tools, the better. Especially in an ad-free world.

Everyone tries a brand before they buy now - and your website is what they try first. So fix it.

Final word

An ad-free experience will become more common as time goes by. Subscriptions, and adblockers will drive this. The old value exchange is most certainly broken, but that doesn't mean brands can't be meaningful anymore.

On the contrary - new ways of deeper communication can be found and fostered to those brands that are brave. With data, we can connect with customers truly care about, and make more impact than ever before. So be brave!

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Hi I’m Luke Maher, a passionate advertising guy working in Melbourne, Australia. Currently my role at Initiative is to evolve the communications of some of the leading businesses in the country.

I like to write about all things advertising and technology, and have been fortunate to be recognized as one of the Australia's top LinkedIn Newcomer Influencers for 2017. See below a few of my favorite pieces.

• Humanise or ostracise: A thought piece around new technologies challenging real human connection
• Filter bubbles everywhere: A thought piece on a new platform that would do the exact opposite
• The $#@!$ mobile experience: A view on how we can fix the mobile experience for customers

If you have any questions or would like to reach out – please contact me at [email protected]