UK-based CAN is a “coalition” of over 180 advertisers, agencies, tech providers and civil society groups that sets out to “break the economic link between advertising and the harmful content that divides communities, excludes diverse voices, exploits children, and undermines scientific consensus.” Grouped under #TogetherWeCAN.
Members include some big UK adland entities including Omnicom Media Group, VCCP, advertisers body ISBA and media agency the7stars. It advises the UK’s civil service on some issues.
Is this a bit of harmless wokery or something rather more disturbing? There have already been complaints from wounded, mostly right wing media owners that CAN and its supporters in and out of the organization are adversely affecting their business.
But if an advertisers or media agency doesn’t like the cut of a particular media owner’s jib why should they advertise on it? It’s supposed to be a free world after all.
The issue though is judgement and CAN’s antics are rather similar to those of the big banks that have been cheerfully “exiting” clients they don’t like, like Nigel Farage at Coutts. This cost the head of NatWest her job.
It’s all here in CAN’s mission statement: “harmful content that divides communities, excludes diverse voices, exploits children, and undermines scientific consensus.”
How equipped is CAN or any of its adland members to make definitive judgements about these? Is anyone at ISBA or Omnicom an expert in not-to-be-undermined scientific consensus? One thing the covid outbreak should have taught us is that there isn’t one although CAN seems to think there is.
Deep and rather dangerous waters.
from Digital Marketing Education https://ift.tt/01EHL7c
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