Can Big Tech Buy Public Opinion?
Along with food and family, football is usually a central activity in thanksgiving festivities across the country. There are usually several games shown on TV, whose ratings are consistent with major primetime events throughout the year. It is also one of the best times for advertisers to get in front of consumers who are typically in a warm family setting when watching the games. This year, it was hard not to notice who was advertising. Almost every break featured a commercial from Amazon, Facebook, Apple or Google. With the slight exception of Apple, all these ads were not selling you a specific product, they were selling themselves. The themes were, Amazon cerates jobs! Google is trustworthy, and Apple protects your data! So why are they spending so much money for primetime ads, if they are not directing you to a specific product? What all these companies have in common are that they are under heavy investigation for Anti-trust violations. This means the government is starting to think they are too big and powerful. One way to fight regulators, outside of court, is through swaying public opinion. This is clearly what these companies are trying to do on Thanksgiving. The question is, can it work? Obviously, it takes more than just commercials to improve favorability about a company, but notice, you now have a bit more information on Amazon's corporate practices. Through their ads, we now know they are focused on climate change, employee a lot of people and donate to local schools. We still may distrust Amazon and the others, but be careful, as you will surly see more public opinion ads in the coming year.
-Alton
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