Fifteen companies have dropped their Facebook Ads because of domestic violence content on the social media site. That’s a lot of ads. Other companies are being pressured to do the same, including Dove and Proctor & Gamble. P&G responded to requests to drop their advertising by claiming they can’t control what content their ads pop up next to, and Dove believes their self-esteem ad does more good if it does pop up next to the ads.
This is about the hottest hot potato on the Internet right now. It’s a chance for large and small companies to collectively make a clear and firm stance against violence affecting women on a global scale. There are a lot of dollars at stake, billions in fact. But there’s something more important here than money. It’s branding. Who you support, what you stand for and where the online social community sees your loyalty and ethics is critical. Larger companies see this and go with the boycott. Others balance the impact of their marketing (Dove) against the negativity. Others, like Zappos and Zipcar, who haven’t removed their ads, but have chosen instead to speak out urging Facebook to reconsider their refusal to remove the offensive ads from the site. Things like this are going to happen to your community, maybe not on this scale, but they will happen. Are you prepared to act in a way that keeps your customers happy, but doesn’t compromise your standards or business?
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