The Friday Five: Bartlett ads banned, marketers warned of audience fatigue, and advertisers losing faith in Musk and X

Happy Friday everyone, welcome to the latest edition of The Friday Five. We have a packed edition this week filled with the biggest stories from the worlds of marketing, tech, and social media.

Today, we look at the news coming from the Molly Rose Foundation who say that big social media platforms aren't doing enough to remove harmful content, citing some compelling evidence. We'll also explain the news surrounding Steven Bartlett, who has had two ads banned by the ASA for failing to disclose key information, as well as X's latest issue - advertisers moving budget to TikTok.

Then we look at a study which shows that audiences are likely to feel 'marketing fatigue' during this year's holiday season and a new feature on Safari that is designed to 'improve browsing experiences' but will it affect marketers' ability to be creative?

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Right then, with your copy of Code Black downloaded, let's get into this week's edition of the Friday Five!

1. Major social platforms failing to remove dangerous content, says foundation

A study by the Molly Rose Foundation has highlighted significant shortcomings in the way major social media platforms handle harmful content related to suicide and self-harm.

The charity found that while platforms like Pinterest and TikTok removed over 95% of such content, others were less effective.

Notably, Instagram and Facebook accounted for only 1% of the content moderation, with X making just 700 decisions.

The study criticises these platforms for their inconsistent and inadequate responses, arguing that the current Online Safety Act does not go far enough to protect vulnerable users.

Ian Russell, the foundation's chairman, has called for stronger regulations and a new Online Safety Bill.

The report also revealed that many sites are failing to enforce their own rules, with platforms like TikTok suspending only two accounts despite detecting millions of harmful posts.

The study has sparked renewed calls for urgent action to safeguard young people online.

For more on this story visit Sky News .

TW: This article contains content about suicide and self-harm.

2. Bartlett ads banned by ASA after failing to disclose business interest

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned advertisements for nutrition products promoted by entrepreneur and podcaster Steven Bartlett.

The ads, which appeared on Facebook in February, were for the companies Huel and Zoe, both of which Bartlett has business interests in.

The ASA received complaints that Bartlett’s vested interests were not disclosed, which could have misled consumers, this led them to rule that the ads were misleading because they did not disclose Bartlett’s financial ties to the companies, giving the impression of an independent review.

The watchdog determined that these omissions were significant enough to influence customer decisions, leading to the ads being banned.

Bartlett is a director at Huel and an investor in Zoe, but this information was not made clear in the ads.

For instance, in a Zoe advert, Bartlett was shown wearing a health patch with a quote suggesting that the product could "change your life," while in the Huel ads, he was seen endorsing their products as "the best."

The ASA has instructed both Huel and Zoe to ensure future advertisements do not omit critical information regarding commercial relationships.

BBC News has more on this story.

3. Advertisers continue to flee X, shifting ad budget to TikTok and others, in latest blow

Recent data from Kantar's Media Reactions report reveals that 77% of marketers are planning to reduce ad spend on the chaotic X (formerly Twitter) and move that budget over to TikTok.

Kantar's study highlights that while a net 6% of marketers planned to boost their investment in Twitter in 2023, a net 14% now intend to reduce their spending on X in 2024.

This data is the latest blow for Musk who, since buying the platform in 2022, has struggled with brand safety issues and his own ability to calm the nerves of advertisers with his own controversies an antisemitism scandal that led major advertisers, including Disney and Apple, to pull their ads.

Beyond that, this decline comes amid broader concerns about the platform’s ability to safeguard brand integrity, especially following high-profile incidents. Just this week, that platform's infrastructure was scrutinised after Musk's conversation with Donald Trump was fraught with technical difficulties

The decline in X's advertising revenue is stark, with the platform losing nearly 50% of its ad revenue within a year of its rebranding.

Musk’s aggressive response to the loss of advertisers, including a lawsuit against them, has only added to the platform's turmoil.

As TikTok continues to attract more investment with its algorithm-driven success, X faces an uphill battle to regain the trust and ad dollars of marketers.

For more on this story, visit Marketing Beat .

4. Marketers warned of impending 'marketing fatigue' during holiday season

A new study poses a potential problem for marketers looking to speak to their customers. Optimove Insights highlights that around 67% of consumers will experience 'marketing fatigue' by November this year.

Marketing fatigue occurs when consumers feel bombarded by excessive or repetitive brand messages, leading to disengagement and a negative perception of the brands involved.

This finding serves as a crucial warning for marketers as the 2024 holiday season approaches.

While marketing fatigue is a real danger, as we tentatively approach the holiday season, the report also brings positive news, indicating a rise in consumer confidence.

Half of respondents expressed optimism about the economy, a notable increase from 26% in 2023, with 61% of consumers planning to increase their gift budgets.

The report underscores the enduring importance of brand loyalty, with 95% of consumers likely to revisit a brand after a positive experience.

Additionally, an omnichannel shopping experience is key, as 64% of consumers plan to shop online, necessitating seamless integration between online and offline channels.

Concerned about marketing fatigue? Head to Marketing Tech News.

5. Help or hinder? New Distraction Control designed to improve browser experience in Safari

Apple is set to introduce a new feature called Distraction Control in the rollout of iOS 18, designed to help users hide distracting elements on web pages when using Safari.

This feature allows users to manually remove specific parts of a webpage by selecting them from the Page Menu in the Smart Search field.

While useful for audiences, Distraction Control is not an ad blocker, as it cannot permanently remove ads, particularly those that refresh regularly.

The feature is somewhat limited in scope; it only works on static elements that don’t frequently change, and it requires users to select each element individually.

Distraction Control is a refinement of a previously reported feature known as Web Eraser, which was initially designed to block unwanted content on web pages but faced significant backlash from online publishers and industry associations.

Apple’s reintroduction of this functionality under the new name Distraction Control is a more cautious approach, aiming to provide users greater control over their browsing experience without hampering creatives.

The feature is currently available for developers to test in the latest beta releases.

AppleInsider has more on this story.

That's a wrap! We hope you enjoyed this week's edition of the Friday Five.

If you have a story that you think we should be covering then please do not hesitate to get in touch.

In the meantime, be sure to download your copy of Code Black and have a great weekend!