WSJ: ‘Disney Slashed Ad Spending on Facebook Amid Growing Boycott’

Suzanne Vranica, reporting for The Wall Street Journal (News+ link):

Walt Disney Co. has dramatically slashed its advertising spending on Facebook Inc., according to people familiar with the situation, the latest setback for the tech giant as it faces a boycott from companies upset with its handling of hate speech and divisive content.

Disney was Facebook’s top U.S. advertiser for the first six months of 2020, research firm Pathmatics Inc. estimates. It joins hundreds of other companies that have paused spending, including Unilever PLC, Starbucks Corp., Ford Motor Co., Verizon Communication Inc. and many small marketers.

In the first half of this year, Disney spent an estimated $210 million on Facebook ads for Disney+ in the U.S., according to Pathmatics. Disney was the biggest ad spender during that period. Last year, it was the No. 2 Facebook advertiser in the U.S., behind Home Depot Inc.

If you won’t advertise on Breitbart or The Daily Caller or Ben Shapiro’s Hate Club, why advertise on the social network that promotes them all?

★ Monday, 20 July 2020