*True errors: in a first version of this news it appeared that Clínicas Baviera had withdrawn its advertising for “El intermedia”. The information has been modified to include that he withdrew his agreement with Dani Mateo, a collaborator of the program.
ING has withdrawn this week its advertising from the television programs “Horizonte” and “Cuarto Milenio”, broadcast on Mediaset’s Cuatro network and presented by Iker Jiménez, as a result, as shared in a statement, of “the controversy generated in recent days in a very sensitive social context”.
The banking entity refers to the criticism received by the journalist as a result of the disinformation that would have been spread within the framework of its special coverage of the impact generated by Dana in Valencia. “We have a media strategy in which we decide weekly planning taking current events into account.”says ING in its statement. “Based on it, we buy the different advertising spaces based on what we consider best for the positioning of our brand.”.
58% of consumers feel less favorable towards brands that advertise in misinformation media
According to the IAS report “Brand safety: the user’s vision in Spain” in 2023, 58% of consumers claim to feel less favorable towards brands that are advertised in disinformation websites or media. And 90% say that it is important to them that advertising helps finance responsible journalism.
In this context, ING is one more case of brands choosing to withdraw their ads from advertising spaces that have been involved in controversies. In most of them, advertisers are motivated both by guaranteeing the brand safety, or brand safety, as due to a certain social pressure on the part of consumers and a desire to raise a argument in defense of a cause.
The controversy of “La Noria”
One of the most notorious cases in our country occurred in 2011 in the program “The Ferris Wheel”, broadcast on Telecinco. Up to seven advertisers, including Campofrío, Puleva, Nestlé, President and Bayer, withdrew their advertisements after the interview conducted by Jordi González with Rosalía García, mother of “El Cuco”, a minor convicted in the case of Marta del Castillo.
Campofrío, for example, apologized, although he indicated that he was unaware of the content and claimed to have instructed his media agency to cancel any spot on the program indefinitely.
Bayer, for its part, explained that the hiring of the advertising spaces It does not imply acceptance or intervention in the content of the programs, and also requested that its advertising be broadcast at a time that did not coincide with “La Noria.”
Although the interview was followed by almost two million people, the controversy generated and the consequent departure of advertisers left their mark on the program, which was first displaced in its broadcast slot and, finally, was canceled a few months later.
“The Intermission” and the Flag
On the other hand, in 2018 the program “The Intermission”, broadcast on La Sexta, also experienced a flight of advertisers as a result of a sketch comedy in which the presenter Dani Mateo blew his nose on a Spanish flag. Clínica Baviera, a brand that had the presenter as an ambassador, withdrew its advertising and pointed out its defense of freedom of expression, “but always from the current legal framework”.
Escape in “Big Brother”
Another notorious case in the Spanish advertising industry was the one involving “GH VIP”, broadcast on Telecinco. More than a dozen advertisers withdrew their advertising in response to criticism from users, who showed their support for Carlota Prado, a contestant in the “GH Revolution” edition in 2017, and who was the victim of sexual assault by another contestant. .
“At Balay we are responsible and consistent with our values. Balay’s advertising has not appeared on Big Brother for days”; the appliance brand commented at the time. Costa Cruises, Telefónica, Leche Larsa, MediaMarkt, Telepizza and Milar were some of those who joined.
Finetwork, the first to make the decision, terminated the sponsorship agreement for the program, “for its total rejection of any type of sexual abuse or violence, completely disassociating itself from the program and showing its solidarity and support not only to the alleged victim, but to all women who suffer this type of reprehensible and criminal acts”.
The content of social networks has also motivated the withdrawal of brands
Disinformation and hate on social networks
As forms of communication have evolved, advertisers have also paid attention to their ads in the online environment. Beyond our country, in 2020 many brands abandoned Twitter and Facebook responding to the social campaign #StopHateForProfit, driven by the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement after the death of George Floyd in the United States.
Verizon, Patagonia, Honda, Hershey, The North Face, Ben&Jerry’s, Eddie Bauer, Magnolia Pictures, Starbucks, Ford, HP, Adidas, Vans, Levi Strauss & Co or Lego, were some of those that positioned themselves.
Later, in 2023, companies such as IBM, Apple, Disney, Oracle or Warner chose to withdraw their advertising from X (Twitter) because their ads were appearing next to messages who promoted Nazi ideology.
“IBM has zero tolerance for hate speech and discrimination and we have immediately suspended all advertising on X while we investigate this situation, which is totally unacceptable.”, commented the technology company.
The European Commission also indicated at the time that it was suspending its advertising on X and the rest of the social networks due to “alarming increase in misinformation and hate content”. This reason is what they argued this week The Vanguard and Guardian for the suspension of his publications on the platform owned by Elon Musk. And they have added to their reasons the partisan use of the network by the businessman, who will hold a consulting position in the new term of Donald Trump.
User perception
In most of the cases cited, advertisers withdrew their advertising, protecting their brands and seeking a favorable perception of them. The aforementioned IAS report at the beginning of this article points out that 56% of users consider it likely to stop using a product and/or service from a brand whose ad appears near inappropriate content.
Along these lines, the same figure indicates that the brands are responsible for the content surrounding their advertisements. Additionally, 55% say they are more likely to engage with an ad that appears near appropriate content; while 52% would recommend the brand that appeared in those circumstances.
