By Digital Business Director Simi Gill
Sadly once again, I find myself writing on the topic of hate speech. However in light of recent events this past week in the UK, it is crucial we continue this conversation, as all advertisers should be mindful of how to ensure we are not funding any hateful sources and how to increase our clients brand safety at times such as this.
As we know (and I have so often wrote about), social media is an undeniable catalyst for the spread of hateful content, disturbing footage and misinformation. The Guardian describes it this week as ‘A polarisation engine’ that created the perfect storm for the far-right riots, as “algorithms that send the most outrageous comments viral and a chain reaction of anger and disinformation made the riots that followed”. Until harsher and far more reactive policies come into full, working effect on the social media platforms (as I’ve discussed here), this will continue to be the case. We must however also appreciate social media for being a core tool at spreading awareness, support and knowledge at times like these; creating a place of comfort and bringing together online communities against such hate.
When it comes to paid campaigns on Social, a key step is we must ensure that our clients are protected from any possible hate speech comments that may be directed towards them, to avoid contributing towards these algorithms. Unfortunately, we often see many of our charity clients targeted at times like these, so it is crucial we have worked with our clients inhouse teams to set keyword / phrase blocklists at their organic page level, meaning any attempts of hate speech are immediately rejected and not associated to our campaigns. To note, these should be in place at all times by default (and for all brands, not just the easier-targeted ones).
Similarly to this, for our programmatic activity it is crucial we have reviewed our inclusion and exclusion lists that determine the sites we can appear across, or the content we can appear next to. At The Kite Factory, any sites/publications that are known to actively be promoting hate are excluded by default on all campaigns, and we take regular review of topics and keywords that may indict hateful content or contribute to a spread of dis/misinformation. In addition, we apply comprehensive brand safety technology to all ads, which works to recognise page semantics and block any bids on placements within harmful environments in real-time.
As the Conscious Advertising Network comments, we as advertisers play a key role in defunding such sources, and instead should actively push our spend towards quality journalism from diverse sources, to support credible narratives. Their key manifesto must-do’s are:
- Review exclusion lists monthly – again this is a continued process, to ensure we are not defunding high-quality journalism covering large scale news events, or covering the misinformation itself.
- Preserve quality content – avoiding unintentionally blocking quality content from affected communities.
- Audit ad placements – check our site and app lists.
- Create clear inclusion lists – have a continually assessed, well-developed inclusion list applied to our campaigns at all times.
- Engage with platforms – speak to representatives about their measures for brand safety and information integrity.
These are all very simple, yet effective steps we as advertisers can take to confirm we are not fuelling a hateful ecosystem or putting our clients’ brands at risk.
Lastly, from a workplace perspective, it’s important for brands and businesses to speak out in solidarity and condone such acts of violence. This is not a topic to shy away from or worry about appearing ‘too political’ – it must be called out for what it is, which is racism and hate.
Audiences of colour will highly appreciate seeing a post from brands they engage with, and employees are seeking this from their employers. Acknowledgement of how your colleagues, clients and audiences of colour are feeling at a time like this goes a long way. And for those in this industry, seek out supportive communities – I for one am a member of MEFA, who rightly state “Now more than ever, it is crucial for organisations to maintain and strengthen their Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) programmes. Cutting back on these initiatives or down-tooling is simply not an option. If anyone thinks that DEI is not required, think again. These riots underscore the urgent need for continued commitment to inclusive practices.” In addition, NABS exists as a support line for employees within the advertising industry who may find themselves particularly affected by this.