On Social Media Advertising and #StopHateForProfit campaign

source: rappler.com


Many brands are joining the ‘Stop Hate for Profit’ campaign, against advertising on Facebook, until the social media platform does something substantial to stop the spread of hate speeches, racial abuse, and fake news. As of last count there were more than 1000 marketers who signed up for the boycott, including news-worthy brands like The North Face, Patagonia, Coca-Cola, Verizon, Starbucks, Microsoft, Unilever, Ford, etc. 
But, is there more to it apart from the hate speeches and racial abuses that brands are concerned about? 
Here are few of my thoughts:
  • Shooting the messenger syndrome
  • Perception Management
  • The (in)effectiveness of advertising on social media
Firstly, I think the issue is similar to proverbial, shooting the messenger. Facebook is not the content creator. It is the users. Facebook is only a platform where different people voice different opinions. Yes, some of these opinions are false, decisive, and dangerous.. but that is something got to do with the person who posted the content; Facebook is not at fault unless they wilfully promote or endorse such content.
If brands were really concerned about protecting their image… they should be even having checks and balances about who can use or consume their products. Also, brands work by exploiting people’s fears and aspirations. An insurance company typically works on fear, ‘What if something bad happens’; Or a sneaker company works by selling false hope riding on people’s aspiration of becoming some sort of a hero; Or a CPG company selling fairness/skin whitening cream by driving the fear, that if you are not fair enough, you’d be left behind.. Ok, on the last point, some brands are taking action…but hope you get the drift. 
The deep rooted fears, biases, and opinions of people has always been there even before social media. Facebook (or any social media platform) is just a medium for them to express it. Asking the social media platform to take action is like imposing your own biases over others.
Secondly, Branding works on perception. When a groundswell is happening that impacts the markets, brands cannot be seen a passive spectator. In this hyperconnected world, brands need to seen as ‘someone like us’, who are emotional, purposeful, and ‘doing-their-bit’ for social good. The idea of boycotting Facebook is more symbolic than anything else, since the brands cannot directly take on and alienate their consumers whose opinion resonates with the content that is termed hateful/abusive. If brands were serious about curing this malice then they would look at attacking the cause, not the symptoms.
With proper perception management, the word of mouth will spread amongst the woke folks on digital and some of them may even follow the brands on their social channels thus giving them positive mileage.
Thirdly, as brands pull back on marketing spends due to the impact of pandemic, they would look at stopping marketing tactics that has least impact on the brand. Many in the marketing world believe that the whole concept of digital advertising, especially, social media advertising, is hyped. To some extent this could be true.
Two popular ways the brands advertise their content on Facebook are as follows:
  1. Targeting the users basis there demographic/psychographic profile (ASL, hobbies, interests, etc)
  2. Re-targeting people who have visited their website (especially e-com) and reminding them to come back and complete their transactions
In the first instance, people will still get to know about the brand through other sources (offline and online) and other mediums of advertising, WOM, interest groups, forums, search, etc. In the second instance, many of them might anyway comeback to complete their transaction; with or without re-targeting ads.
Also social media advertising is contrary to the effective communications 101. We have learnt that in a communication framework there are 3 things, A sender, A medium, and A receiver. Social media is a place where the user is usually distracted, confused, emotional, etc.. basically, a place where lot of noise gets created. And if there is ‘noise’ in the medium then the communication gets distorted and is not effective. 
Communication works best when there is a pattern and not noise. Maybe that is why advertisers still have faith in print, television, and other digital publications (including google, ad networks, etc) to reach out to their audience

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