Many brands simultaneously boycott Facebook

The North Face decision in response to the #StopHateForProfit campaign of civic organizations like NAACP, Anti-Defamation League, urged advertisers to stop spending marketing money on Facebook and Instagram in July.

On Twitter, The North Face update will join. Retail equipment retailer REI and hiring company Upwork also announced the same.

These decisions show that many businesses have joined to boycott Facebook, even temporarily, to show solidarity in front of supporters of racial justice and dissatisfaction with the social network. The move also followed calls for advertisers to use their leverage to force social networks to change behavior from prominent politicians, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The majority of Facebook revenue comes from advertising.

The North Face’s commitment to Facebook and Instagram advertising continues to produce content on Instagram. Craig Hodges, a spokesman for VF Corp – the parent company of The North Face – said some subsidiaries were considering following suit. VF Corp owns Dickies, Vans, Timberland … Within a year to March 31, VF Corp spent USD 756 million on advertising.

The North Face statement stated that it would suspend all paid Facebook advertising activities in the US until more stringent policies were launched to combat hateful, violent, racist content. , false information on the platform.

In recent weeks, Facebook has been hit by a wave of criticism for handling the controversial post of US President Donald Trump. Old and new employees, even scientists sponsored by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, protested.

As protests for George Floyd, a black man murdered by police, took place across the United States, calls for advertisers to stop spending money on Facebook also rose and targeted businesses of all sizes. tissue, including many big brands like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Starbucks.

The #StopHateForProfit campaign website states: “Send a strong message to Facebook: Never post hate, hate, racist, anti-Semitism, or anti-profit violence.”

The activist’s request faces a major obstacle. In the U.S. digital advertising market, Facebook is the second largest player after Google and earned $ 69.7 billion from advertising globally in 2019.