Disney Reportedly Joins Facebook Boycott, Slashes Ad Spending (theverge.com) 84
An anonymous reader quotes the Verge:
Disney has significantly reduced its spending on Facebook and Instagram ads amid concerns about the social media platform's enforcement of its content policies, The Wall Street Journal reported. It joins a list of large companies that have cut back on Facebook ads as part of an effort to compel Facebook to change how it handles hate speech and misinformation on its platforms.
The monthlong #StopHateforProfit boycott organized by a coalition of civil rights organizations including the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP, Color of Change, and Sleeping Giants kicked off July 1st and includes companies like Hershey, Honda, Ben & Jerry's, and Verizon. Other companies not part of the formal boycott that have pulled ads from Facebook and other social platforms included Coca-Cola, Lego, Starbucks, and Unilever. And Microsoft suspended its advertising on Facebook and Instagram through August.
The monthlong #StopHateforProfit boycott organized by a coalition of civil rights organizations including the Anti-Defamation League, the NAACP, Color of Change, and Sleeping Giants kicked off July 1st and includes companies like Hershey, Honda, Ben & Jerry's, and Verizon. Other companies not part of the formal boycott that have pulled ads from Facebook and other social platforms included Coca-Cola, Lego, Starbucks, and Unilever. And Microsoft suspended its advertising on Facebook and Instagram through August.
Bullshit (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Bullshit (Score:5, Informative)
I know how stupid I think you are.
The virus is causing a downturn in use of streaming services? Wrong [globenewswire.com]. That market is growing faster than ever.
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Does that cover the huge losses at the front end (where they usually recoup the investments; at the box office)?
From all I'm hearing (and this is something I don't have hard figures, so it's not strong evidence; been a bit too busy to run my usual confirmation dives) they're having to eat huge losses at that point.
Streaming is up, but that was always supposed to be an ancillary revenue stream.
Reducing spend, not cutting it, just means they think they'll get the same impact with a lower footprint and lower s
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> That market is growing faster than ever.
As such, perhaps they no longer feel the need to advertise as much, and with this paper thin spin they can get some woke points out of it.
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So they've suspended advertising Disney Plus everywhere else as well, eh?
Nope.
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> That market is growing faster than ever.
As such, perhaps they no longer feel the need to advertise as much
That is not how advertising works. You advertise your best sellers, not your worst sellers. If an ad is successful, you run it more, not less. If a product is popular, you boost advertising to take advantage of the greater leverage.
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Most of Disney's income is from theme parks that have been closed, and I believe some are still.
It's easy to get caught up looking for the "true" meaning behind it all, but it seems likely there's really nothing deeper than run-of-the-mill signalling going on here. From Facebook as well as the advertisers.
What I'm more interested in is how Facebook will respond. I really think their response might be to ignore it. They've already shut down a few white-hood-and-swastika groups - they can claim they'v
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That's nice. This concerned advertising specifically for the streaming service and Hulu. You would have seen this if you'd read TFA.
Which is exactly what TFA and the summary say. What insight do you think are you adding?
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"Most of Disney's income is from theme parks "
No. 26.23% of their income in 2019 came from "Parks, experiences and products. Disney sells a shit ton of products.
https://www.statista.com/stati... [statista.com]
They'll start using again in asia launch. (Score:2)
They'll start using again in asia launch. guaranteed. but it's all kinda stupid and silly anyways. you target the _users_ with the ads.
you guys know what kind of crazy electrocution car crash etc vids facebook is full of in asia? that's not the point though because you target the users who are using facebook, not what they are watching.
also to note is that facebook in some countries is the free platform, free from government interference and eavesdropping. it all depends on what country you're in. LINE for
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How stupid do they think we are?
"Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."
-- George Carlin
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OK, I followed that link and the incident happened in 1989 (not the early 90s). Do you know what else happened in 1989? The Columbia Pictures empire was sold on September 28, 1989, to the electronics giant Sony for the amount of $3.4 billion [wikipedia.org]. It seems that Coca-Cola did the ultimate boycott.
I am sure that it was only a coincidence though, as the people who make the advertising decisions at Coke would not have programming control over a subsidiary company - especially a highly profitable show at that. It sho
Just covering up... (Score:2, Interesting)
Disney's just covering up their support for China which actually hunts down and murders thousands of black people a year, let alone has is now rounding up citizens in Hong Kong for wrong think.
#StopHateForCommunism
100% wrong (Score:2)
These "civil rights" organizations like the ADL are notorious for yelling hate speech at everything they disagree with. Their business model is to declare things "hate speech" for political and financial profit.
You are 100% wrong. The ADL is a non-profit. They have no "business model" and they make no profit.
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"I can't imagine being this naive."
Try harder.
Re: 100% wrong (Score:1)
Re: 100% wrong (Score:2)
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There's also zero evidence that a lot of "hate speech" is anything other than dissatisfied grumbling, which the yellers of "hate speech" do all the time (I find they tend to be quite full of hate themselves, so see it in anything others do).
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Better example of anything for a dollar look at SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center). It has been sued so often it now has offices who purpose is to fight those lawsuits and those claim from people who worked there that its leaders are "racist and sexist"
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and those claim from people who worked there that its leaders are "racist and sexist"
Except SPLC has taken actions to correct those issues. They have gone about removing people involved, appointed others and hired outsiders. They didn't sweep things under the rug and continue on.
I read an opinion piece from a group which is listed on the SPLC site as a hate group, trying to claim the SPLC issue made them wholly unsuited to call out others. I found it hilarious that an organization which champions forced
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champions forced sterlization of gay/lesbian/etc people
Do they understand how gay sex works?
What would sterilization accomplish?
A great start (Score:1)
Burn it all down! I dream of a world without social media where people have to actually talk to each other and social norms apply.
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I left the social media side a while ago now, when I became absolutely convinced that it's just the land of the virtual mob. The "Eternal September" on steroids.
It's sad really. We have the best 'library' of information we've ever had as a species. The best communication channels we've ever had, yet people (not government or companies) have turned it into a cesspit of accusations, witch hunts, misinformation and bigotry.
It reminds me of a quote that my old man used to say: "The best form of government is
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It's sad really. We have the best 'library' of information we've ever had as a species. The best communication channels we've ever had, yet people (not government or companies) have turned it into a cesspit of accusations, witch hunts, misinformation and bigotry.
It's a joint effort between corporations and a subset of the citizenry. It's just like how Slashdot "editors" post all these stories that rile us up. They just want more page views, and thus more ad impressions. They don't give a fuck about us, or society. "If it bleeds, it leads" rules the news, because they want ad impressions above all else. Welcome to Capitalism, can I take your coat, please?
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"The best form of government is actually a benevolent dictatorship"
This is probably true, but it's also probably true that anyone who is benevolent has no desire to be a dictator. It reminds me of that Douglas Adams quote where he says that anyone who wants to be president definitely should not be president.
Perhaps we should devise some system of nomination where politicians have to be regular people nominated by their communities against their will. Make it kind of like jury duty.
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Not surprising. (Score:5, Insightful)
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So you're saying that because they share the same values, Disney and Facebook should team up?
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Facebook is supporting free speech
Holy shit. I didn't think I could laugh at something so hard. But just in case. [nytimes.com] I hate to break it to you bro. They're in it like every other company. For the money.
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And let's not forget about them outsourcing, and forcing employees to train their H1-B replacements.
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to bad that they have been labeled as racist.
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"How many blacks work at/for Disney?"
Dr. Facillier ...
Tiana
Cobra Bubbles
Penny Proud
Cornelius Fillmore
James (from the princess and the Frog)
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What does it matter?! It's about hate speech and misinformation, and not just racism.
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No, its about pretending to care. If companies cared about black lives, and inequality, they should just start paying taxes so things that could actually make a difference can happen, like free health care. Or pay their employees living wages. Instead they are making a big deal about some idiot saying something offensive on Facebook, which most people will just ignore.
To me the main inequalities are between rich and everyone else, while everyone else squabbles about who has it worse and who is offending who
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No, its about pretending to care.
No. These companies are giving up advertisement, and it costs them a part of their revenue. That's not pretending.
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They are saying they're giving up advertising on Facebook. It's what got your tiny brain spinning in the first place.
When they just let their money sit in the bank and cash interest or when they spend it on other things is none of your concern. They are however pulling out of Facebook.
A pretender is someone who has no real interest, no capital, no risk, or whatsoever in this. Does this sound like you?
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What number would make you happy? Do you also ask how many male nurses there are?
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It's not just Disney's money...it's all the other companies that look at what Disney did and decide that they can slash their spending on Facebook too.
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Disney used to be important, didn't they? I'm sure FB is just reeling from the blow.
The Disney corporation reported earnings of $69.5 billion in 2019. Billion with a 'b'. Disney remains a global media juggernaut despite their bumbling.
Awwwwww (Score:2)
<Nelson>Ha ha!</Nelson>
I hope Mark Zuckerberg doesn't have to cut back on his daily "let's-buy-a-yacht" habit.
This isn't about "hate speech" (Score:4, Informative)
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This isn't about "hate speech". It's about seizing control of all communications channels, and enforcing lockstep conformity.
Who's seizing what communication channels, exactly? Are you sure you're responding to the correct article...?
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This isn't about "hate speech". It's about seizing control of all communications channels, and enforcing lockstep conformity.
Who's seizing what communication channels, exactly? Are you sure you're responding to the correct article...?
Um, the group of companies literally ganging up on any communications channels who don't toe the line? Doing it right in the open?
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And, of course, what you mean by "seizing communications channels" is "choosing not to purchase advertising space from particular sellers." The free market is a double-edged sword. Disney and any other companies participating in an advertising boycott of Facebook (or just choosing not to advertise there at the moment) have the right not to do business with Facebook. They even have the right to set the terms on which they will choose to purchase advertising. Facebook has based a significant part of its busin
Re: This isn't about "hate speech" (Score:1)
Re: This isn't about "hate speech" (Score:2)
Sometimes people conform around the things because they are obvious and compelling. In an emergency like this consensus with compromise means we are all pulling in the same direction. In such times those who default to contrarianism, are unable to be reasoned with, and insist on indoctrinating others are a real problem. There is space for dissent and even pacifism in wartime. But there is no room for outright insurrection. Especially not in the name of some disingenuous âoeslippery slopeâ censo
Fingers crossed (Score:2)
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Translation: (Score:2)
It's also good business (Score:2)
Readers spend ~30% of their browsing time on Facebook (IAB).
Advertisers all too often put 70% of their ads on Facebook.
Smart advertisers, on the other hand, spend their ad dollars where their customers are.
Who would have thought (Score:2)
Walt Disney managed to put an Happy Ending on Facebook.
It Seems as Tho Hate Speech is... (Score:1)
...any conservative point of view.
If not, why are not these mobs all worked up over the lying mainstream media that continuously lie about conservatives and conservative issues? The New York Times and Washington Post probably should not have any advertisers at all if this paradigm were applied consistently. Misinformation? No, bald-faced lies. One after he other. I used to want to go to the library and read the New York Times when I was young. Now, it seems there's no point in doing so, as it is impo
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NAACP's opinion on this (Score:2)
This whole thing is frightening me. Here is the NAACP page [naacp.org] on what they are asking for from Facebook. I can't believe I live in a world where civil rights groups are asking for corporations to censor people. I feel like I was transported into some alternate dystopia.
They gave Facebook a specific list of things that they believe should be censored! Check it out:
4. Find and remove public and private groups focused on white supremacy, militia, antisemitism, violent conspiracies, Holocaust denialism, vaccine misinformation, and climate denialism.
Do they not realize that if they do this, some right-wing group is going to demand that Facebook:
4. Find and remove public and private groups focused on wearing of face masks, feminism, abortion, LGBT, Islamic extremism, public swearing, and socialism.
You can't tell corporations to silence the other
Walt Disney and HUAC (Score:2)
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Update: He's dead now.
Hate Speech (Score:1)
MS's move means little. (Score:2)
It's hard not to see Microsoft's move as simply discontinuing its support of a potential competitor in some space, with a pretext handed to them on a silver platter. Some of the other corporate moves are probably similar, in that they're not based in ideology, they're based on an expectation that ROI is going to be shit.