With great power comes great responsibility
You would think that with all the geeks in Silicon Valley they would know the Peter Parker Principle as a gospel. But this week it appears that many of the social media giants are starting to realize that the great power (and wealth) afforded them by their technology platforms has responsibilities they have not been living up to. So now, with the world in the grip of a life-threatening pandemic and social unrest spreading after centuries of injustice, those same platforms are being held to account.
There was a time that being a major media owner was a privilege that came with significant responsibilities. These responsibilities are both enshrined in law and in society. Laws around defamation and libel, around common decency, truth and honesty. Media owners in many countries are held responsible for the content (editorial, opinion and advertising) that appears in their media. They have understood the Peter Parker Principle.
But the new media barons have tried to escape this responsibility, maintaining they are not media platforms, but technology platforms. But what is the difference? Both make content available to mass audiences and both accept advertising revenue for providing access to that audience. Well now, under pressure from a vocal and significant part of that audience, advertisers are saying enough is enough. They are turning off the rivers of gold that fund these media platforms. For how long? Who knows? Let’s hope it is long enough that they learn the Peter Parker Principle: “With great power comes great responsibility”.
So, let’s take a look at what made me go WOW! this week.
ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE SENDS LETTER TO ADVERTISERS, URGING THEM TO BOYCOTT FACEBOOK
The Anti-Defamation League appeals to brands in a new open letter that outlines the reasons civil rights groups are calling to protest Facebook, and the letter names brands like Geico and Verizon, saying their Facebook ads have appeared alongside offensive content.
The ADL has joined the NAACP and other civil rights groups in recent weeks protesting Facebook, saying that it fails to prevent the spread of disinformation and hate speech. The civil rights groups launched a campaign called "Stop the Hate for Profit," to encourage brands to pause ad spending on Facebook for July.
VERIZON JOINS FACEBOOK ADVERTISING BOYCOTT
Verizon, the US telecoms and media giant, has become the biggest advertiser to date to announce it is suspending advertising on Facebook platforms amid a growing brand boycott. The company announced it is pulling advertising on Facebook and Instagram until the company "can create an acceptable solution that makes us comfortable".
A Verizon Media spokesman confirmed this is a global Facebook adspend cessation for July and includes Verizon Media, its digital media business that includes brands such as Yahoo and HuffPost. "All consumer marketing" is being put on pause next month, the spokesman confirmed
UNILEVER WILL STOP ADVERTISING ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER THROUGH YEAR END
“Continuing to advertise on these platforms at this time would not add value to people and society,” Unilever said in the statement. “We will be monitoring ongoing and will revisit our current position if necessary.”
In a marked departure for a company that has avoided prior digital media boycotts, Unilever said it will redirect spending from those platforms elsewhere. Unilever spent $42.3 million on Facebook (not counting Instagram) ads in 2019 and $2.1 million each month in April and May, according to Pathmatics.
HONDA STOPS FACEBOOK SPENDING IN JULY, JOINING FAST-GROWING BOYCOTT
Honda’s U.S. division is joining the Facebook ad boycott, making it the first automaker publicly to pledge to join a movement that is gaining momentum by the hour.
“For the month of July, American Honda will withhold its advertising on Facebook and Instagram, choosing to stand with people united against hate and racism. This is in alignment with our company’s values, which are grounded in human respect,” Honda said in a statement.
COCA-COLA SUSPENDS SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING DESPITE FACEBOOK CHANGES
Coca-Cola will suspend advertising on social media globally for at least 30 days, as pressure builds on platforms to crack down on hate speech.
"There is no place for racism in the world and there is no place for racism on social media," the drinks maker's chairman and CEO James Quincey said. He demanded "greater accountability and transparency" from social media firms.
FACEBOOK TWEAKS CONTENT POLICIES AS AD BOYCOTT GROWS, SHARES DROP
With a global advertising boycott against his platform quickly gathering steam, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has pledged new steps to deal with misinformation and hateful content, particularly around issues related to the upcoming US elections.
In a Facebook post and town hall speech broadcast, Zuckerberg outlined steps to counter some forms of voter suppression, set a higher standard for hateful content in ads and promised more labelling around newsworthy posts, especially by politicians that may violate Facebook policies.
Zuckerberg also posted a message on Friday outlining plans to tackle disinformation and label harmful content—the kind that has gone unchecked in the past, like posts from President Donald Trump. However, the policy update was immediately slapped down by organizers of an advertising freeze against the company. They said the social network did not meet their demands, which means a brand boycott is still in the works for July.
In his post, Zuckerberg reaffirmed many of the positions the company has taken in the past that suggest it will continue to err on the side of allowing the widest possible expression of views on the service.
FACEBOOK ADMITS 'TRUST DEFICIT' AS MARK ZUCKERBERG INTERVENES IN BOYCOTT ROW
Mark Zuckerberg has also personally intervened in the growing advertisers boycott on Facebook by seeking to assure ad agency companies, including Omnicom and Dentsu Aegis Network, in an emergency meeting this week.
In a rare move, the Facebook founder and chief executive attended a client council meeting, flanked by chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg and vice-president of global marketing solutions Carolyn Everson, to explain the company’s position over hate speech and political content moderation.
WHY THIS FACEBOOK BOYCOTT IS DIFFERENT
As a major advertising publication covering Facebook, AdWeek is often asking whether brands will leave the platform over the latest scandal. More often than not, the answer they hear from brands and media buyers is “no.” Facebook holds a commanding presence in the digital marketing space. It not only owns the second-largest slice of the digital ad pie, according to eMarketer, but marketers frequently say it’s the most affordable and effective way to target people online. Simply put, it’s hard to quit.
But the gravity of a decision by CEO Mark Zuckerberg to leave up Trump’s “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” post is resonating differently in media buying circles. Major brands have been joining the boycott every day for about a week, putting pressure on Facebook to root out hate speech and misinformation by average users and world leaders alike.
IPG MEDIABRANDS LAY OUT 10 MEDIA RESPONSIBILITY PRINCIPLES
Showing true industry leadership, Daryl Lee, global CEO of IPG Mediabrands, introduced the company’s 10 Media Responsibility Principles in an internal memo. “It is not enough for brand safety to be about protecting the brand—there must also be a commitment to protect the communities that a brand serves,” Lee said.
He explained that the principles were developed as a response to the Black Lives Matter movement and brands’ increased awareness of “the importance of making hate speech or incitement to violence in media unacceptable,” as well as “recent headlines around Facebook.”
AUSTRALIA GIVES TECH PLATFORMS SIX MONTHS TO DEVELOP MISINFORMATION CODE
Australia's communications and media regulator has released a model framework for how digital platforms should counter the spread of misinformation and has asked the platforms to work together to develop a single, industry-wide code by December 2020.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) released a position paper today outlining its expectations for a voluntary code that will be used to set principles and commitments to counter misinformation online and empower users to make more informed decisions about news quality.
GOOGLE WILL START PAYING PUBLISHERS FOR UPCOMING NEWS SERVICE
Alphabet Inc.’s Google will begin paying select media outlets featured in a yet-to-be-released news service later this year, a major business shift for the search engine after years of pressure from media companies and regulators.
The licensing deals will start in three countries and Google is in talks with publishers in six more, the company said Thursday in a blog post. For years, media organizations have criticized Google and other internet platforms for their treatment of news articles and grip on digital advertising.
Google’s new service will launch in Germany, Australia and Brazil, three countries where the company has faced competition complaints. In response, Google has made several attempts to mollify publishers.
Of course, the Peter Parker Principle does not simply apply to media platforms alone. It also applies equally to brands and agencies and in fact anyone who has the privilege of accessing mass communication for the purposes of influencing or changing public opinion and behavior. It is incumbent on all who use the power of communication to be aware of and respect the responsibilities that come with this power.
As always, if any of this has piqued your curiosity or you simply want a more confidential discussion on any topic and the marketing implications and advertising opportunities let me know.
And stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay sane.
Cheers
Darren