Facebook’s News Ban Highlights Why A Diverse Channel Mix Is Essential
Amir Rezaee, Head of Performance at Alpha Digital predicts that the ban of news content on the network could encourage marketers to build their presence across other platforms.
Marketers are experiencing a shake-up and a half
Facebook has had a busy start to the year and negotiations around the News Media Bargaining Code escalated quickly this week. The code calls for the tech giant to pay for shared news content, and practically overnight, Facebook decided to ban Australian publishers and Facebook users from sharing and accessing news on its platform.
Despite negotiations progressing, Facebook decided that this is its only viable option, even though engagement on Facebook could go down without news content being shared or read within the feed. Many publishers woke up to discover that they had lost a significant source of traffic overnight.
Meanwhile, marketers and publishers have also been closely following Google’s reaction to the code. Google search recently eluded to leaving the Australian market completely (and marketers had to start considering optimisation strategies for other search engines as damage control). Luckily for marketers, Google has managed to strike more favourable or shall we say ‘workable’ payment deals with major publishers in the last few days, rather than removing search completely.
Facebook and Google are heavily invested in by marketers and advertisers, and the threats have prompted many to question if they should be sharing their budget across other marketing channels to reduce their risks when market disruptions occur.
Now factor in the push for privacy
Outside of the ongoing enquiry into ‘fairness’ between big tech platforms and media companies, Apple (a company accounting for over one in four devices globally) has also been lobbying for customer privacy. As of January, all iOS apps (including Facebook) are required to adopt and display Apple’s new transparency prompt, which will ask iOS14 users for explicit permission to track users across apps and websites owned by other companies.
However, given that many people were probably unaware of how they have been tracked in the past and that the first option presented in the prompt is ‘do not allow tracking’, Facebook (and its advertisers) could lose visibility and targeting capability from a significant portion of their audience.
We believe users should have the choice over the data that is being collected about them and how it’s used. Facebook can continue to track users across apps and websites as before, App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14 will just require that they ask for your permission first. pic.twitter.com/UnnAONZ61I
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) December 17, 2020
Disruptions to the media landscape will continue
This seems to be just the beginning of an evolution in the media landscape. Privacy regulation has been tightening up since GDPR was introduced in Europe and CPRA in California. All the while Google’s cookieless future is yet to roll out in 2022 and the opacity of the programmatic supply chain is also under review. The threats and changes are forcing all marketers to take a long hard look at their channel investment, and consider if their marketing mix is responsive and resilient enough to continue reaching their customers amid all of the changes.
Marketers can no longer put their eggs in one basket
The breakdown of negotiations between the Australian Government and Facebook will sadly hit small, independent publishers the hardest. Those who have relied heavily on Facebook for sharing content would have seen their traffic plummet overnight.
On the other hand, publishers who have created enough recall with their audience and positioned themselves as a ‘content destination’, built a presence on other social platforms (such as, like Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter), or have an extensive and engaged email list to share news to directly will be able to weather the storm.
This lesson in the need for de-risking also applies to marketers who will be affected by the iOS14 update and reduced targeting capability on Facebook. The update will ultimately force the hand of marketers to rely on their own data sets and diversify their channel strategy. As a result content partnerships are in Vogue and many marketers are seeking publishers directly to try and reconnect with customers across the breadth of touchpoints that they use, while finding premium opportunities for brand alignment.
Thinking outside the box
If reaching audiences through online platforms is becoming increasingly difficult, then marketers can look to Programmatic Digital Out Of Home as an inclusion in their marketing mix. Flexible, data driven, easily applied to many locations (and easy to switch off in the case of snap lockdowns) it can offer more premium impressions within physical locations.
You will also have read many articles already observing the increased importance of building and maintaining your first party data and communicating to your audience directly via email. It’s an owned channel with an audience that has opted in to hear directly from your brand. It’s your own brand-customer ecosystem, so you can distribute your content there freely and engage with your audience directly. It’s also immune to algorithm updates and the customer data collected here can also be integrated with campaigns on other platforms. Make this channel a priority, if you haven’t already.
So, what’s next?
The evolving digital media landscape will continue to call for diversity. An agile, cross-channel digital marketing strategy is no longer a nice to have, it’s a prerequisite. In the case of Facebook, targeting will now be less reliant on automation and marketers are going to have to refine their skills. Rather than relying on Facebook to find their customers for them, marketers are now going to need to dissect existing data to get to know their customer’s interests and decision making processes intimately, and choose their placements mindfully.
Latest News
The Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card
The Mars Agency has developed a scorecard that assesses the capabilities of leading platforms across key criteria required to optimally plan, execute, and measure effective retail media programs. The scorecard aims To help brands efficiently evaluate their spending options across retail media networks in Australia (and New Zealand). With spending on retail media advertising in […]
‘It’s The Lesser Of Two Evils’ – NRL Eyes US Betting Market As Aussie Regulators Circle
US betting firms will be delighted by the circa 50,000 Americans who could soon watch the NRL on their favourite app.
A-League In Deep Discussions With New Partner To Keep Games On TV After Production Company Enters Administration
The A-League's insatiable appetite for scoring own goals continues.
TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick
A heated argument between two jungle members did the numbers for Ten last night, with I’m A Celeb obtaining a total national reach of 1,282,000. Fans were delighted as Candice Warner and influencer Skye Wheatley got into it over a stick of lipstick, leading Warner to dub the Instagram star “selfish.” Wheatley, best known for […]
Is The Australian Music Industry In Trouble? Inquiry Launched Following Splendour Cancellation
Earlier this week, an inquiry was launched into the challenges and opportunities currently facing the Australian live music industry in the wake of multiple festival cancellations. On 25 March 2024, the Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Tony Burke MP, asked the Committee on Communications and the Arts to inquire into and report on the […]
Liana Dubois, Leandro Perez, Aimee Buchanan & More Gather For Inaugural Compadres Leadership Event
Didn't get the invite? Perhaps you're not as important as you thought.
Cathay Captures The Unforgettable Thrill Of Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, Via Publicis
Nobody does rugby like Hong Kong, apparently. Certainly nobody does it as badly as Australia.
Cocogun Nabs Christine Watts, Kirsty Reynolds & Shev Tan Bolstering Management & Creative Teams
Cocogun bolsters its team with new hires. Committed to purchasing a bigger sofa, too.
The Media Store’s Jacquie Alley & Sam Cousins Take The Plunge With Pro-Bono Work For Cure Cancer
B&T chats with The Media Store bosses about their great pro-bono work and sponsored swim.
Hawke’s Brewing Co. Taps Rocket Comms For PR Agency Following Competitive Pitch
We're expecting Rocket Comms productivity to crash in spectacular fashion following this win.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Patties Serves Up A Taste Of Home For Olympians & South Sydney Rabbitohs Recommit To Gambling Reform
While the Rabbitohs commits to gambling reform, B&T reckons the team should commit to a decent auto sponsor.
Google: “Inevitable” That Bad Actors Will Abuse Ads Platform As Advertiser Account Suspensions Double
Google maintains it's simply impossible for it to entirely stop bad people placing & paying for ads using its service.
Quantcast Expands APAC Sales Team With Appointment Of News Corp Account Manager
No pressure at all when you are appointed as a client success manager.
Publicis Sapient Tests Microsoft-Powered Gen AI Search Tool With Homes & Villas By Marriott Bonvoy
Given Gen AI's record for mangling stuff, B&T cannot see the problem with letting it decide your next holiday digs.
Volkswagen & DDB Group’s “Roo Badge” To Reduce Kangaroo Related Road Collisions
Watch out for RooBadge as Cannes Lions' most debated campaign this year.
Twilio Launches Unified Profiles & Agent Copilot Features To Boost Productivity & Engagement
Agent Copilot sounds like James Bond's less interesting cousin.
Reebok & Honda Among New Clients For onetwo agency
OneTwo finally lives up to its name with this double billing.
Ogilvy Report: Throw Out The Social Strategy Rule Book, The Rules Of The Past No Longer Apply
B&T was puzzled that all 'influencers' aren't, effectively, 'virtual', but here we are.
WhiteGREY & AKQA Merge In Australia, Lee Simpson Departs
Fortunately, the combined agencies aren't opting for a trite portmanteau for the new name.
Splendour In The Grass 2024 Music Festival Cancelled!
Music fans all over the country reportedly relieved they can pack away their rain coats and gumboots for another year.
TV Ratings (26/03/2024): “Fairy Bread, F***ing Disgusting”: Gordon Ramsay Slams Aussie Food In Food Stars Launch
Ramsay not one for mincing his words, even when it comes to minced meat pies.
Paramount+ International Boss Doubles Down On Aussie Content, Says Ad-Tier will Grow Audiences And Revenue
Good news as Paramount will not be binning I’m A Celebrity for re-runs of Frasier.
Brent Smart: Telstra Pushing For 50-50 Brand-Performance Split But Warns Numbers ‘Won’t Look Great’ Initially
The old brand vs performance debate continues. But here, Brent is firmly sitting on the fence.
Crowded House, Tones And I & Dom Dolla Win Big At The Shure Rolling Stone Music Awards
B&T staffer reports back with humdinger of a hangover & feeling seriously uncool after mixing with music types.
Opinion: Dyslexia “A Hidden Gem” For Brands & Agencies
Dyslexics offer underappreciated benefits in the corporate field, according to this op-ed.
David Jones Taps Criteo To Power Online Retail Media Arm
Want to see ads for things you probably can't afford? David Jones has got you covered with new retail media play.
oOh!media Sets Up Team To Target Business Audiences Across Airports & Offices
oOh! wants brands to harass you every minute of your next business trip.
QMS Launches Australian First DOOH & TV Partnership With Samba TV
Samba TV, of course, is not a channel dedicated to dancing. Much to our dismany.
Slew Of New Hires At Amplify
Four new faces join the Amplify offices. Team say desk scarcity becoming "acute".
Adobe Announces Content Authenticity Initiative Expansions To Counter Deep Fakes
Try as they might to enlighten them, we suspect Trump supporters will continue to watch and believe Fox News.
The PR Group Appoints TechCrunch Senior Reporter Catherine Shu As Director Of Content & Media
Catherine Shu makes the bold leap from journalism to PR. Says inevitable pay bump was "unrelated".
HERO Nabs Ebony Santin From AMPR
Rumours Santin cleared out the stationery cupboard before departing are as yet unconfirmed.
Karena Noble Checks Out Of EVT Hotels & Resorts To Launch Comms Consultancy
Noble still managed to squeezed in a continental breakfast before departing.
Canva Acquires Design Platform Affinity To Bring Professional Design Tools To Every Organisation
Canva & Adobe face off continues. We're not picking sides but keenly aware that Canva's office is next door to ours.
“Lean On Our Team To Help You Find An Audience”: Why Understanding Audience Engagement Is Essential In Journalism
Engaging the audience is critical to journos, apparently. We'd thought self-loathing & alcoholism were key.
Adobe Summit: Major Gen AI Developments, Data Concessions & Partnerships
What happens in Vegas stays there. Unless it's the Adobe Summit and then you get to read about in B&T.