Social media has the potential to do good, despite concerns over fake news and online bullying, said Anastasia Goodstein, senior VP of the digital innovation group of The Advertising Council.
The optimism of the early days of the Internet—when Twitter was first launched at South by Southwest—has given way to “a little bit of concern about how they’re bring used and who’s using” the platforms, Goodstein told Velocitize Talks. “We’re starting to have those kinds of ethical discussions.”
Digital media is capable of disseminating messages to improve society, encouraging diversity and other values, said Goodstein. She noted that the Ad Council has become involved in digital cause campaigns including its anti-bullying effort “I Am a Witness” and the diversity campaign “Love Has no Labels.” That effort, created by agency R/GA, has gone viral worldwide, she said.
“it’s reached people globally in a way we could not have anticipated, but we’re thrilled,” she said. Brands sponsored the campaign, a departure from the usual Ad Council model, but with diversity being such a high-profile topic around the industry, it was a good fit, she said.
“It just made sense for brands to want to amplify that message, get it out there,” said Goodstein. “We’re really providing an opportunity for them to become involved in issues that they care about.”
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