Advertisers left the leading search engine this week. Google now faces major retaliation because of recent issues with advertisements on its sites. Carefully crafted ads are being linked with violent and inappropriate content on YouTube videos. Companies spend a lot of time and conduct extensive research to decide what ads to put on specific platforms. When that content is associated with something controversial like racism or terrorism, companies are bound to take notice.
Losing Customers
Both Google and the companies affected by their ads playing alongside hateful content run the risk of losing business. Having this negative connection with some of the world’s biggest brands is a nightmare. Well-respected brands like Coca-Cola and Proctor & Gamble lessened their advertising on Google in response to this problem. Google lost several advertisers this week from different industries. For example, Starbucks, PepsiCo, and multiple other companies have completely pulled their ads from Google and YouTube out of fear of losing their own customers. They are fearful of their well-established brands being associated with unseemly content. Because these huge companies are pulling out of advertising on Google’s platforms, Google is losing customers that are vital for its advertising revenue. When these big brands start pulling out of Google, it sends the very clear message to customers and other companies that there is an issue.
How to Fix the Problem
Google is forced to increase its efforts to monitor and police the content on its sites. A brand cannot afford to be shown next to a video promoting terrorism. If Google wants to continue to keep advertisers and prominent brands on its site, they have to make a change. Technological advances will help the problem in the long run, but in the meantime Google has been apologizing for the mistake. However, they have monitors that keep an eye on the advertising associated with controversial content. Problems will continue as long as Google allows the content at issue, but there’s little than can do to get rid of that without violating free speech. Google understands the concerns of its advertisers and promises to work on a solution. Only time will tell if it is a solution benefitting all parties involved.
Follow these links for more information:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-faces-tall-order-policing-content-1490283318
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