SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook Bans Political Ads…Kind Of, Not Really

Most major social platforms already grappled with banning political ads—Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest all did away with them over the past two years. 

But the platform that witnessed a torrential downpour of criticism after the 2016 election and the recent #StopHateForProfit movement hasn’t done much about Trump and Biden’s spending…until now, 60 days before the U.S. presidential election:

• Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday that the platform will not sell inventory for political ads in the week leading up to the election, in order to prevent last minute misinformation.
• Political ads purchased before that week, however, will still run during that time.
• For context, Facebook is by far the biggest digital political advertising platform, but political ad spend will only account for a tiny slice of its 2020 revenue. 

+1: Facebook will remove posts suggesting people will get COVID-19 from voting, and is taking added steps to encourage users to vote.

Why it matters

So how does the move change things for non-political advertisers? In all likelihood, it doesn’t. 

Any alteration to FB’s political ad policies is noteworthy—especially given how rigidly Zuckerberg has stayed the “free speech” course until now. But the mini ban is unlikely to impress those hoping FB would change its tune after 1,000+ advertisers boycotted the platform this summer.

In other words, the move probably won’t alter the FB status quo—although the president of liberal watchdog Media Matters for America argued it actually deepens the platform’s issues, per Digital News Daily. But ultimately, brands with reservations about advertising on Facebook in July probably still have doubts today.

Looking ahead: Don’t expect controversy around Facebook’s content moderation and political ad practices to go away any time soon. Don’t expect Facebook’s ad rev to dry up, either. As we pointed out in July, for many brands, the platform is just too important to abandon.

AGENCIES

Agency Layoffs Continue with Droga5

Unfortunately, no amount of innovative, “shot from home” video spots can ensure that agencies have fully adapted to the pandemic. 

Case in point: Droga5 just cut ~7% of its U.S. staff, as “producing large campaigns has proved difficult with the shuttering of production studios and other health and safety measures intended to combat the spread of the virus,” per Marketing Dive. 

• This isn’t just any indie agency out on its own—it’s an Accenture-owned, elite agency in the U.S., with major clients like HBO and the NYT. 
• Droga5’s cuts represent the most recent wave of agency layoffs since Wieden+Kennedy’s staff cuts in July, when it laid off 11% of its global workforce.

Big picture: All the major agency holding companies had already announced layoffs, furloughs, and pay cuts by early June, but that doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods. That same month, Forrester predicted that U.S. agencies will cut 35,167 jobs in 2020 and 16,578 in 2021.

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CAMPAIGNS

The Lottery Won The Lottery

As we all waited for our blow-up pools and other summertime quarantine distractions to arrive, Arizonans were passing the time with scratch-offs and Powerballs—and it’s probably not because they had extra cash to spend. 

Winning big: With a little help from its friends at OH Partners—a small ad agency based out of the southwestern U.S.—the Arizona Lottery (yeah, as in lottery scratch-offs) had its highest performing July in the lottery’s 39-year history.

And experts say it’s all because of a little shift in ad strategy. 

• AZL (yes, this lottery has an acronym) focused its messaging around the ways it’s giving back to the community during the pandemic. 
• OH Partners redesigned lottery scratch-off tickets to center the charitable programs that the lottery funds, such as local educational initiatives. 

Zoom out: The “little agency that could” must have predicted that 61% of U.S. respondents to Edelman’s brand trust survey said they want brands to inform them about ways they're helping with the pandemic.

WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

• Google is reaping the results of its recent antitrust hearing, as the Justice Department plans to file charges against the company in a few weeks.
• TikTok’s Marketing Partner Program for advertisers officially launched on Thursday. 
• Google Ads will start hiding some search queries without significant data. 
• The Olympics have a new, dynamic logo for LA 2028.
• Apple is delaying changes to its privacy policy that could harm Facebook’s audience network.

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FRENCH PRESS

Marketing tips to make you fancy

Emails: Sailthru dove into why it named an email from Tiffany & Co. its email of the month, which seems especially salient as Opinium recently found that email is the preferred method of brand communication for most U.S. adults. 

Infographics: If you want a 20,000-foot view of how all the major companies in the marketing industry function together, check out LUMAscape. Better yet, bookmark its new Black LUMAscape to use as a reference for diversifying your company’s business dealings.

Clicks: Click through these expert opinions on how to make Google My Business listings more clickable.

FROM THE CREW

If you’re reading this, you probably fall into one of the following buckets: 

1. Use an AI tool, from ad targeting to content generation 
2. Want to introduce AI tools into your marketing life
3. Have no idea what AI actually is 
4. Are a proud Luddite    

Buckets 1-3, you’re in luck: Emerging Tech Brew just put together a comprehensive, accessible guide to all things AI, from defining the slippery topic to charting out the industries it’s reshaping. If you’re in the fourth bucket, there's still hope. 

What we’re trying to say is read the guide. If you’re the type that skims for stuff that matters to you, section four discusses how AI impacts marketing-relevant spaces like advertising, social media, and e-commerce. You’re welcome.

ICYMI

Catch up on the top Marketing Brew stories from the last few editions.

• Uber's recent antiracism campaign generated criticism from activists—here’s why
• Some TV advertisers want a ‘pandemic clause’ in their upfront contracts
• AT&T could sell its digital ad unit Xandr soon