Speaking to Campaign on the news that Unilever will be allocating 50% of adspend on social media, Allan highlighted that advertisers are already spending three times the optimal level on social media.
Campaign interviewed a series of industry experts following the announcement from Unilever’s new CEO Fernando Fernandez that included plans to hire ’20 times more influencers’. In response Newsworks’, chief executive, Jo Allan said:
“It’s an interesting time to start throwing more money at social. Evidence shows that advertisers are already spending three times the optimal level on social media. Perhaps short-term wins are the aim, but at what cost to long-term brand health? In my view, it’ll only lead to more waste and less quality and trust, which are the two leading metrics that lead to profit growth for advertisers.”
Meanwhile, the7stars Sabrina Francis warned that “overreliance on individual platforms can introduce challenges” and chief executive for Thinkbox, Lindsey Clay said “I just hope the increased funding for social – by any advertiser – doesn’t come at the expense of media that work the hardest to deliver the most”.
