FAQ

Q1 : What is the best way to keep track of the abusive brands ?

Honestly there is no one-size-fits-all, but here are some solutions that work for most people. Try one, try them all, see what suits YOU best. It's really not complicated — you can start immediately and easy adjust and improve along the way.

1. Pen & paper : works fine initially, depending on your organisation. The main drawback is that if you lose that piece of paper.. well, no harm done. Just start over, it's not a race, it's a process. A process that can be started, stopped, resetted, changed, etc. Another drawback is that a paper is not easily searchable.. aside from using your (or someone else's!!) eyeballs obviously! On the other hand it is easily to annotate with any information, or signs you like — more on this below, in Q2.

2. A note app : convenient and handy since most of us have a cellphone nearby all day long. Digital notes can easily be edited whether on the move (walking, public transport, voice-to-text, etc.), or at home, at work — anywhere really — even in the dark, which is obviously harder for pen & paper. It is tupically searchable (depending on the app functionalities) which is great when the number of brands start to be significant. The only drawback, really, is that the information is typically "unstructured", consisting generally in a number of lines listing brand names, sometimes with additional information next to the names.

3. An spreadsheet file : convenient when easily accessible from any device via a cloud service, it also offers both a simple line & column format that can capture and structure the information. It is searchable, data can also be filtered and you make all sorts of calculations, statistics and more This is the weapon of choice for community members that want, or will want to analyse their data at some point — more on this below, in Q3.

Q2 : Okay, I am now taking note of the brand names that have targeted me with unsolicited ads. What other information might, or should I be capturing ?

The most common additional information community members capture is the number of unsolicited ads they have been subjected to, per brand.

This allows to appreciate and quantify the level of "annoyance" each brand creates, and in turn, this helps define a proportionate response, should you wish to. Capturing data can be key to making decisions and implementing change. For example, you may decide to not purchase any item (for a given period — or until the end of times!) from highly intrusive brands, but you may give a pass to brands you have seen only a limited number of unsolicited ads from. That number, if you follow this logic, is for you to decide — everyone sets their own rule, more on this below, in the "Rules" section.

Q3 : Great. I have been doing all this for a while now, how can I measure my progress and my impact ?

These are some common ways the community tracks their personal progress :

• Number of brands on your list — those that targeted you with unsolicited ads

• Number of days without purchasing from one of these intrusive brands, especially repeat offenders

• Number of purchases made toward responsible brands, the ones that actually respect consent and avoid intrusive practices

• Number of days/weeks without being targeted, your reduction in unsolicited ad exposure over time !

And here are some ways the community tracks their impact :

• Number of friends or others you’ve helped raise awareness with on this topic

• Number of reactions through social media posts, blog articles, or public challenges that show your commitment and inspire others

• Contributing to community reports or data sharing

• Engaging with brands or platforms — sending feedback, signing petitions, or requesting better ad practices

Create your own progress tracker and share it, this is part of the process, and part of the fun — be creative !

Q4: by the way, what does classify as unsolicited ads?

Great question. Because the rules aren’t fixed, the definition can vary slightly depending on personal boundaries and context, but this core idea remains.

Unsolicited ads are any commercial messages you didn’t ask for and didn’t consent to receiving.

Digital examples :

• Social media ads that appear between posts

• Banner ads and pop-ups on websites, especially those that follow you across the web

• YouTube/video ads that autoplay before, during, or after content you’re watching

• Email promotions you never subscribed to (especially from brands you’ve never interacted with)

• Ads in mobile apps or games, especially loud, flashing, or repetitive ones

• Product placement by online influencers and content creators

Offline examples :

• Postal flyers or brochures sent to your home without request

• Billboards or posters in public space — brands/logos on their own buildings can be excluded

What doesn’t count ?

• Ads or offers in content that you actively opted into (like a newsletter you subscribed to)

• Ads embedded in products that you have purchased (like a magazine)

The line isn't always perfectly clear, but a good rule of thumb is:

“Did I ask for this, did I knowingly exposed myself to it — or was it pushed into my space without my permission?”