Large global brands remain wary of advertising on Facebook
2 min read . Updated: 18 Aug 2020, 10:50 PM ISTIndian arms of Diageo, Pepsi, Coca-Cola have paused promotions over hate speech
NEW DELHI : Over a month after several large global corporations, including Unilever, Coca-Cola and Diageo, paused advertisements on social media websites such as Facebook and Instagram over hate speech, the Indian arms of some of these companies continue to shun these platforms.
The move to boycott some social media platforms gathered pace in the last week of June with several companies stating that they will stop advertising on these websites for periods ranging from 30 days to several months, seeking greater accountability on hate speech, discrimination and misinformation.
Since then, companies such as Diageo, PepsiCo, Levi’s and Coca-Cola have paused paid promotions on Instagram and Facebook in India. The story was first reported by The Economic Times on 18 August.
However, apparel brand Levi’s, which had stopped ads on several social media platforms, resumed them earlier this month, said a person privy to the matter.
Company executives and brand experts reckon that the temporary disengagement with the platforms, largely led by global brands, will continue at least for some more time.
“This will continue for some time and one needs to see what action needs to be taken. Facebook does need to get its act together. They are getting into controversies too often; better stakeholder management is required," said an executive at a packaged goods company.
India’s digital advertising market is fast growing and is pegged at an estimated ₹17,000 crore with brands engaging on multiple platforms including Facebook, Google search, YouTube banners, apart from engagement on Instagram and Twitter. But concerns around the spread of fake news, hate speech and content moderation continue.
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal said that a Facebook executive in India went soft on hateful posts by members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. In the aftermath, the Congress party has written to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to look into the allegations, according to a report by the Hindustan Times newspaper.
Facebook has maintained its stance on the matter, stating that it does not profit from hate.
In a 1 July Facebook blogpost, Nick Clegg, vice-president, global affairs and communications, Facebook, said that: “Billions of people use Facebook and Instagram because they have good experiences — they don’t want to see hateful content, our advertisers don’t want to see it, and we don’t want to see it. There is no incentive for us to do anything but remove it. Facebook does not profit from hate."
suneera.t@livemint.com
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