As Twitter waded into controversy for taking steps to fight misinformation and controversial remarks from perhaps its most famous tweeter, President Donald Trump, Facebook has taken the opposite tack, but with no less backlash.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has decided to let the president speak freely, but that neutral position — especially when Trump’s comments seem to encourage violence — is causing some brands to pause and rethink their advertising spends on the platform where they may be allocating their budgets.
Facebook remains one of the top places for brands to place their digital advertising. About $3 out of every $5 digital ad dollars flow to Google or Facebook, according to February 2020 projections from eMarketer.
But the pandemic has made advertisers across the board rethink their strategies. While Facebook is still a must-buy, there are other competitors, including broadcast networks, that are touting the ability to reach large online audiences on top of their premium, brand-safe content.
Jed Meyer said:
Advertising on Facebook has proven to be remarkably resilient through past crises ranging from Cambridge Analytica to measurement irregularities to brand safety concerns. This resilience stems from some combination of the platform’s broad reach, scale, and effectiveness, as well as the lack of significant alternatives. In all likelihood, ad dollars will continue to get funnelled into Facebook in the face of any boycott campaigns.”
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First featured 12/06/2020.
