ADVANCE 2024: Google, Meta, Pinterest, Snap, and TikTok Come Together to Talk Advertising For Good

We as advertising, brand, and creative pros have a big place in the world – and as the adage goes “With great power comes great responsibility.” 

The theme of “Advertising for Good” was at the core of Smartly’s flagship event ADVANCE, held September 18 in New York City. A veritable pantheon of social media platform experts came together for a rare and unique opportunity to discuss the responsibility to advance the industry forward through advertising for good.

Smartly CEO Laura Desmond invited Lisa Sherman, President & CEO of The Ad Council for a vibrant discussion about the role of advertising in advancing important causes like positive societal impact, with leaders from all the major global tech platforms:

• Sean Downey - President, Americas & Global Partners, Google 
• Judy Toland- Vice President, Global Audience Marketing, Meta 
• Bill Watkins- Chief Revenue Officer, Pinterest 
• Patrick Harris - President, Americas, Snap 
• Blake Chandlee- President, Global Business Solutions, TikTok 

Moderator Lisa Sherman noted that in 2022 The Ad Council launched a multi- year initiative to tackle the mental health crisis in America. Sherman highlighted that this endeavor is too substantial for any one company or organization to take on alone, but our ability to partner and collaborate together will allow us to foster a society that is more open, more accepting and more proactive when it comes to mental health and positive societal outcomes.

How Platforms Are Advancing Advertising For Good:

The panelists agreed that their companies are unified in the industry in the mission to protect users and uphold quality standards to harness the power of advertising for good and give back to the community that supports these environments. 

Here are the highlights from this exciting and momentous session:

1. Put People First

Business is not the bottom line; people are. Today’s youth are starting to engage in tough topics of conversation, and the safety of digital environments where these discussions and discoveries take place is critical for all the major platforms. 

“Users” are children, friends, parents, and all humans who need and deserve safe environments that feel trustworthy and considerate of personal privacy. Panelists noted how specific measures – including the banning of misinformation on platforms and the requirement for users 16 and under to have default private profiles – create enhanced environments for audiences online. The panelists also talked about their involvement in partnering with creators and influencers to openly discuss topics they care about to engage users in the community so it feels authentic and safe. 

2. Engineer Platforms For User Safety & Control

Platforms should help audiences by offering meaningful and appropriate resources to drive strong awareness of issues, the opportunity to build community around problems, and enable people to  take action if they need assistance. 

By implementing safeguards to preserve online environments, platforms are enabling strong governance with parental controls, age-driven limitations, banning unhealthy and inappropriate information. 

Helping people and partners maximize the full power and capabilities of platforms is a core responsibility in elevating and amplifying voices that bring knowledge to the world, across all platforms, and empower people to take the actions that will support their well being. 

Panelists emphasized the importance of designing platforms to foster user trust, protect privacy, and tap into the power of AI in conjunction with human efforts. Platforms have the enormous opportunity to leverage their reach and scale to educate and empower for the betterment of society. All platforms share in the mission to create spaces for real friends and relationships in a way that allows users to be their authentic, human selves. 

3. Purpose Drives Performance 

While the platform panelists noted that they are in a race competing for market share and business, they are aligned in their commitment to collaborating to ensure that platforms are built with purpose and intent to serve their audiences meaningfully and safely. 

The major call to arms is to design safeguards that are good for people, creators, businesses. For example, the “Seize the Awkward” campaign reached 16 million members of the Meta community. TikTok created a hub dedicated to well being resources that generated 152 billion organic impressions around the subject of mental health. Google partners with schools that scale programs to discuss the topic of digital and control to help users understand usage, and how to protect themselves online. 

The platforms are making significant investments in initiatives focused on creating meaningful connections. They've also noted how AI, working closely with experts, is helping to advance these causes by ensuring user safety and informing product development.

‍We’re committed to helping advance the industry to a new view of what advertising and creative can be in the digital age. Stay tuned on our blog over the coming weeks for more inspiring takeaways from ADVANCE, and follow the event discussion on social media with the hashtag #ADVANCESmartly2024.