#129: The problem with kidfluencers, truth about change, a black history month marketing miss, and writing for the internet
Happy Saturday from sunny LA! Current view:
Ah well.
In this edition #129 of The World's Best Newsletter:
1. Exceptional Truths: Change
2. Black history month marketing misstep
3. A "price for Facebook's honesty"
4. Censorship through noise
5. New advertising regulations in response to activism
6. The Problem with Kidfluencers
7. Quote of the week: Writing for the internet
Let's do it:
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1. Exceptional Truths: Change
Check out my LIVE convo with Cassandra Worthy - leading expert on Change Enthusiasm® and "the world's most inspirational engineer."
3 truths she shared about change:
The feels of change (frustration, fear, anxiety) exist. Let them. They are a signal to an opportunity, and a gift.
Being "fearless" isn't real. What is real is our mindset; and leaders should coach this conscious decision to embrace change in their teams.
Resilience is a muscle - not a skill - and it's strengthened by going through failure.
Watch the full recording of our chat for the truth about change - and how to embrace it. Thank you to Boldly for their support for this episode!
Exceptional Truths is a series featuring real talk with exceptional individuals.
2. Black history month marketing misstep
It's black history month, and that's going to lead to missteps by brands eager to get into the conversation. Here's one:
Instead of using their platform to promote original works by authors of color, Penguin Random House and Barnes and Noble Fifth Avenue planned to re-release existing works like The Secret Garden and Moby Dick with covers re-illustrated to feature POC.
The project was WELL-INTENTIONED, spearheaded by agency TBWA/Chiat Day to "call out the fact that these characters were assumed white for no reason based on literary context" -- but as Justina Ireland explains, "erasing cultural differences is not diversity."
The issue with the now-cancelled plan was elegantly summarized by author Bethany C. Morrow:
3. A "price for Facebook's honesty"
The misinformation problem on Facebook has turned deadly.
A 4-year-old in Colorado died from flu this week. Days before, his mom reached out to Facebook's biggest anti-vaxx group. Members told her not to take the Tamiflu a doctor had prescribed, but give him oils and elderberries and put potatoes in his socks. - NBC News, Brandy Zadrozny
Facebook's response was just about as helpful as "thoughts and prayers,"
“This is a tragedy and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. We don’t want vaccine misinformation on Facebook which is why we’re working hard to reduce it everywhere on the platform, including in private groups.”
Per the article:
Facebook announced in March that it would limit the reach of anti-vaccination content, no longer serve up anti-vaccination groups and pages in search results and the recommendations bar, and no longer allow users and groups that spread vaccine misinformation to place ads or run fundraisers. In September, Facebook rolled out pop-up warnings for users searching for vaccine-related content.
But Facebook has stopped short of banning the anti-vaccine groups themselves, citing an unease with being the arbiter of truth.
This is the crux of the issue. To a platform like Facebook, giving users space to engage, both with each other and ads, is profitable. Truth just gets in the way. It was never the point of the platform and it never will be.
4. Censorship through noise
The Atlantic has a MUST-read piece on how technology and propaganda techniques pioneered by dictators will shape the 2020 election.
From "The billion-dollar disinformation campaign to reelect the president:"
Rather than shutting down dissenting voices, these leaders have learned to harness the democratizing power of social media for their own purposes—jamming the signals, sowing confusion. They no longer need to silence the dissident shouting in the streets; they can use a megaphone to drown him out. Scholars have a name for this: censorship through noise.
5. New advertising regulations in response to activism
On Jan 22, the French Senate passed a law against "hate" online - Projet de Loi Avia, or the Avia Law.
Part of the sweeping new bill requires companies to report their advertisement site lists every month to the public. This is the result, in part, of activists like Sleeping Giants.
Per the newsletter BRANDED from Claire Atkin + SG's Nandini Jammi:
Most marketers let their ads run without ever checking their site list.... This is the first law that we’ve heard of that identifies that digital ad placements - where your ads end up on the internet - is a matter of public interest.
6. The Problem with Kidfluencers
I had the chance to weigh in on an issue that I'd been tracking quietly - the rise of young kids as social influencers. Read my full post on Traackr's blog.
My take:
Is it advertising? Definitely. Brands working with this category of influencers strike deals paying thousands per sponsored post, or through collaborations (e.g. their own category of clothes or toys.)
Can kid consumers tell the difference? No. Watchdog group Truth in Advertising argues that preschoolers can’t tell the difference between advertising and organic content. In their complaint filed with the FTC, they illustrate the magnitude:
Nearly 90% of the Ryan Toys Review videos have at least one paid product recommendation for children under the age of 5, TINA argued in its complaint. (TODAY)
As noted in the TODAY article, even when a Youtuber discloses paid sponsorships, it’s often written.
“Preschoolers can’t read.”
LOL.
7. Quote of the week: Writing for the internet
"We aim for 10x content. If someone has written about the topic before and we can’t do it better, or at least from a different angle, we won’t write it. Simple." - CXL
I'm writing an article on behalf of a client for the CXL blog. Their editorial guidelines are clear, direct, and any organization publishing on the internet could learn from this. Some other favorites:
"Dig deep and write for smart people."
"no opinions unchecked"
When in doubt, act like an annoying child: keep asking why until you hit the bottom of the string (or until you’re so frustrated you can’t look at your laptop). Try the Five Whys technique.
Thanks, as always, for reading, and have a great weekend,
Katie
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