Why Brands Are Boycotting Facebook

Inside the Stop Hate for Profit campaign on a bonus episode of Yeah, That's Probably an Ad

Introducing the Adweek Podcast Network. Access infinite inspiration in your pocket on everything from career advice and creativity to metaverse marketing and more. Browse all podcasts.

If it seemed like you heard rumblings of a Facebook advertiser boycott, then blinked and realized it had grown into a massive movement involving many of the world’s top brands, there’s a simple reason for that: It really did happen that quickly.

Coca-Cola, Diageo, Ford, HP, Kimberly-Clark and many others (you can keep up with Adweek’s frequently updated list) have announced they will be pausing advertising spend on Facebook in July and even through the rest of 2020, with some extending that pause to Facebook-owned Instagram or even other social platforms.

How did all this come about so fast and attract such massive marketers, who have been discussing their lingering concerns about brand safety in social media for years without taking such bold and direct action?

In a bonus episode of Adweek’s weekly podcast Yeah, That’s Probably an Ad, host David Griner, Adweek’s creative and innovation editor, is joined by reporter Scott Nover, who covers platforms such as Facebook. Nover walks listeners through the defining moments that catalyzed this boycott and what brands hope it will accomplish.

You can listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or stream the episode in its entirety below: