As announced last July, Facebook and Google have stopped relaying Canadian news in opposition to Bill C-18. Since then, Canadian brands have shown a wide range of reactions, from moderate boycotts to outright indifference.
If we exclude media companies that have stopped advertising on Facebook and Google, no company seems to have weaned itself off the American platforms entirely with a full boycott. However, several organizations have taken a clear stance, pledging to “significantly” reduce their advertising investment on Meta’s social networks.
In the wake of this, the Mouvement média d’ici, created in 2021 by the Association des Agences de Communication Créative (A2C), in Québec, has found new impetus. Following Meta and Google’s decision, A2C asked Quebec organizations to make a “public commitment” to invest 25% or more of their digital media budget in Canadian media. In just a few weeks, 127 joined the movement.
We believe that increasing advertising investment in local media is a more sustainable solution than calling for a boycott of Facebook,” explained Dominique Villeneuve, President and CEO of A2C. We understand this boycott in the case of media companies. With Mouvement média d’ici, we’re presenting a complementary solution that’s accessible to both small and large companies.”
Not the first concern of SMEs
For the moment, we can’t say that the media blocking applied by Meta and Google has turned companies’ digital strategies upside down. If we exclude the advertising agencies linked to the A2C initiative, it’s hard to find SMEs that have taken a clear stance on the subject.
Personally, none of my SME clients have spoken to me about this,” says Dominic Lessard, a digital consultant.
Of course, this issue comes up in the summer, right in the middle of the construction vacations. But there’s more to it than that.
For big advertisers, there’s a public relations aspect: they want to be good corporate citizens by helping the media and standing up for democracy,” he analyzes. But what’s in it for SMEs? When you only have a $3,000 monthly budget, every penny counts! ROI dictates investment.
That said, the consultant notes a growing sensitivity in another related issue: that of “third-party cookies”. In recent years, companies have been told to repatriate their data to be less dependent on Facebook and Google cookies, which are destined to disappear.
I’m hearing more and more marketers and small business owners talking about ‘proprietary data’ and investing in first-party data to ensure the sustainability of their marketing.”
As for how brands will react to Meta and Google’s media blocking, the next few weeks will no doubt bring more answers, with the return of the vacations, the back-to-school season, and the aftermath of Bill c-18.
