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Can Unilever or P&G Dump Google or Facebook?

16/02/2018
Advertising Agency
New York, United States
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INFLUENCER: StrawberryFrog’s Scott Goodson on the transnational giants’ threats to tech platforms
“Keith Weed is mad as hell about online fake news and toxic content and he’s not going to take it any more,” says the headline of the NY Post today.

Weed, who controls a nearly $10 billion ad budget at Unilever, sent a clear message to Facebook, Google, Amazon and other tech companies on Monday: Clean up your toxic sites or we’re cutting you off. This message follows the same kind of threat from Marc Pritchard, the CMO of Procter & Gamble. 

Both companies spent billions on online ads last year — and both Pritchard and Weed are fed up with having their ads run alongside porn, terrorist videos, Russian-backed political ads, or content that fails to protect children.

Weed said that the tech industry must work to improve transparency and consumer trust in an era of fake news and “toxic” online content.

“It is critical that our brands remain not only in a safe environment, but a suitable one,” Weed said in a speech delivered at the Interactive Advertising Bureau conference. “Unilever, as a trusted advertiser, does not want to advertise on platforms which do not make a positive contribution to society,” he added.

Weed also railed against “fraudulent practice, fake news, and Russians influencing the US election.”

Both Pritchard and Weed are right and empowering the system to continue adding to the toxic content cannot go on. It’s bad for their businesses and moreover it undermines our values which these companies hold dear.

The issue is, however, can these companies wean themselves off these content distribution systems?

Probably not. Threats aside, the brands have made the leap into the web and there’s probably no turning back at this point. They will need to continue to pressure the tech giants to change and the best way to do this is by aligning with them and to build a major collaborative effort and cultural movement within which all members and employees on both sides can align with the stand against this toxic waste. Think about it, these tech giants have thousands of engineers working tirelessly to find new tricks and tacks to lure consumers to their sites and moreover keep them glued to their content in this attention economy.

On the other side the P&Gs and Unilevers of the world have smart and ambitious brand managers who are measured on sales. These objectives drive actions. Neither are remunerated for taking a stand against the toxic web. To do that a great new cultural movement is needed that from the bottom up inspires conviction, trust, motivation, creativity and pride. Other than this, we all will just need to wait until blockchain eclipses the existing web.
 
Scott Goodson is founder of StrawberryFrog

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