Google is getting political.
Social media platforms always have a way of getting into sticky situations when it comes to politics, censorship and all that stuff. I mean, Google isn’t really a social media platform but since it also runs ads as an alternative source of revenue, the search engine platform was under fire after the US Capitol siege back in early January. Yes, remember that event? Everything is falling apart and it’s not even mid-2021 yet.
Google had put a pause on political advertisements in January following the siege and violent uprising but decided to lift that ban. Former President Trump, who is suspected to have initiated and encouraged those events through his Tweets, was not formally charged for these events but it caused both Facebook and Google, who are usually big on political ads, to put a ban on these ads which has subsequently affected advertisers who eventually chose to shift their budget towards other platforms that allowed them - a trend that made Facebook and Google lose money. The ban stated that ads referencing candidates, elections and its outcome, the inauguration or impeachment as well as violence and misinformation that undermine trust in elections or the democratic process, would not be allowed to run. I mean, fair enough, why would you want to fuel a conflict that is already out of control and be responsible for displaying some sort of propaganda? Google is still a private company, it can do whatever it wants. As a leading digital marketing agency operating in the UAE, we understand Google’s position on the matter - and it’s a tricky one.
It’s a tricky one because, if you remember the scandal between Facebook and Australia correctly, Facebook has prevented News outlets in Australia from publishing their content on their page, leading to an outcry as some other important health-related pages were blocked from posting updates on the pandemic. Facebook’s excuse was: “the definition of news information was not properly defined to us.” Meaning that, Facebook was just being absolutely petty and simply decided to cut everyone out of the lot. If Google were to do the same and use keywords to block political content from being posted, some small business owner who named one of their burgers “The Trump Burger” wouldn’t be able to advertise its products as a result. It’s perhaps a bit far fetched, but the people affected did move away to advertise somewhere else. Here at Mint Stalk, a leading digital marketing agency based in the UAE, this is quite something to witness, even if it hasn’t impacted our work so far. But anyway, Google will be lifting the ban soon but Facebook on the other hand, has not yet made plans to do so.
About Mint Stalk:
Mint Stalk is a Digital Marketing & Creative Agency in the UAE, supporting businesses with high quality Social Media Management, Branding, Creative Designs, Arabic Content, Campaigns, PR & more. Mint Stalk Marketing Agency offers both offline and online marketing support, as we understand that both your audience targeting and creative content must be on par, in order to convert customers and build brand loyalty.
Our company is split into different departments: as Mint Stalk Social Media Management Agency in the UAE, we handle all social media platforms, offering Instagram Management, Facebook Management, Twitter Management, LinkedIn Management, Tick Tock Management and Snap Chat Management. We design creative posts, write quality Arabic and English captions, cover Instagram stories, on-site events, full community management, (responding to questions and comments from the public), run competitions, increase organic followers and increase page engagement to strengthen your brand. We always include short video content and moving GIFs as part of your social media content, to keep the page engaging and interactive. We work with a number of Social Media Influencers as part of our Influencer Management Services, through collaborations, barter deals and paid posts.
Mint Stalk Creative Agency has in-house Videographers for video production, professional Photographers, Graphic Designers, Creative Directors, Arabic content writers and English content writers. The Digital Marketing arm consists of UI/UX Website Developers, Social Media Managers, Google Ads Managers and SEO Specialists, who build targeted campaigns and focus on performance marketing.
Mint Stalk also supports a number of well-known multinational brands with Press Releases. As a PR Agency, we write both English and Arabic press releases, prepare the Press Kits and also distribute them for publishing. We work with Timeout Dubai, Forbes Magazine, Khaleej Times, Gulf News, Hotelier Middle East, Lovin Dubai and many other Media Outlets both locally and internationally.
Mint Stalk has built numerous brand guidelines and brand strategies for both corporate and lifestyle sectors, including banks and government entities. From storytelling to brand positioning, Mint Stalk can support with all branding and creative requirements.
Mint Stalk Marketing Agency caters to a wide range of industries. Some of our corporate clients and government entities include The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority and Messefrankfurt. Some of our consumer and lifestyle brands include Anantara Hotels, St Regis, Americana Group and Jashanmal Retail. We love to support local businesses, so please feel free to reach out to our passionate team !
Mint Stalk
A Fresh Way To Grow Your Brand.
Visit: www.mintstalk.com
Email: info@mintstalk.com
