Facebook ad boycott campaign

What do Americans think about it?

The anger against online hate peaked this year, with over a thousand big and small brands engaging in a ‘stop Hate for profit’ campaign against Facebook. With brands taking this never-seen-before public stand, this report delves into what the American public has come to think about this new development along with their take on brand responsibility. Brands can leverage this data in their decision making.

Amid the growing public debate and protest, over a thousand brands, including major ones like Walt Disney, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft, hit a pause on online hate by suspending all their advertisements on Facebook and Instagram for the month of July. While many have resumed their working relationship with the social media giant, some like Unilever have decided to protest indefinitely. What message is this brand support giving out to the consumers, and will it lead to any credible change? Piplsay polled 20,253 Americans nationwide to get these insights. Here’s a summary of what we found:

Other Insights

• An equal 59% of men and women think Facebook should be held responsible for the content on its platforms
• About 35% of Gen Zers and Millennials think most brands taking part in the boycott are doing it to for PR and cost-saving reasons
• 55% of Gen Xers do not believe the boycott will lead to a credible change as compared to 45% of Gen Zers
• 41% of whites and 45% of blacks believe the ad boycott will force Facebook to make changes in its policies

Survey Methodology: This Piplsay survey (powered by Market Cube) was conducted nationwide in the US from August 5-6, 2020. We received 20,253 online responses from individuals aged 18 years and older.