Problem for Facebook advertisers
With the money, they are discovering, comes responsibility.
Facebook learnt that the hard way last week. After failed attempts to get the social network to remove pages glorifying violence against women, feminist activists waged a digital media campaign that highlighted marketers whose ads were found alongside those pages. Nissan and several smaller advertisers temporarily removed their ads from the site.
Under pressure, Facebook acknowledged that its systems to identify and remove such content had not worked effectively and promised to improve those processes. The company began removing the pages in question.
The episode underscored a conundrum for social media sites forged from the philosophy that free speech should thrive on the internet: Will they be able to control content created by their users so that advertisers are not embarrassed by material beyond their control?
"Certainly advertisers ... want to reach consumers in a positive way," said David Reuter, vice-president for corporate communications at Nissan Americas. "It is up to the social companies to create an environment that provides that level of support and safety for the companies."
Nissan began working with Facebook to find a solution, Mr Reuter said, and the brand has resumed advertising on the site.
How advertisers will be able to prevent their brands from appearing on Facebook pages with offensive content is unclear.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Activists highlighted that ads from brands were appearing alongside Facebook pages that glorified violence against women, prompting advertisers to worry about brand safety and temporarily pull ads until Facebook addressed the offensive content.
The article says Nissan and several smaller advertisers temporarily removed their ads from Facebook after a digital campaign showed marketers’ ads next to offensive pages.
Advertisers paused campaigns because their ads were appearing next to pages with offensive content, creating reputational risk; Nissan said advertisers want to reach consumers in a positive way and expect social platforms to provide a safe environment.
Facebook acknowledged its systems had not effectively identified or removed the pages, promised to improve those processes, and began removing the pages in question after pressure from activists and advertisers.
Yes. Nissan worked with Facebook to find a solution and subsequently resumed advertising on the site once steps were taken to remove the offending pages.
According to the article, it remains unclear how advertisers will be able to fully prevent their brands from appearing on Facebook pages with offensive content; the episode highlights limits in content control and moderation.
The incident underscores a conundrum for social media advertising: platforms pursuing ad revenue must also create safe spaces for advertisers, because failures in content moderation can embarrass brands and threaten advertising relationships.
Investors should monitor how social platforms improve content-moderation systems, their ability to reassure advertisers about brand safety, and whether advertiser pullbacks could affect ad revenue—issues highlighted by the Facebook-Nissan episode.
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