Stop The Flash!
As we know, it is getting harder and harder for brands to place their products in front of their audience. Maybe, their target market does not adhere to the old school ways of marketing such as billboards, newspapers, and leaflets. So naturally without hesitation, a lot of brands opt for targeted social media marketing…because they think they know their audience. But, do they?
If you’ve ever entered the world of Twitter or Facebook, at some point you would have been scrolling through your feed and have come across an advert. This ad is most likely targeted for you. Well, it’s not…it’s actually targetted for the ‘social media’ you. For example, it will know your location, your age and maybe some of your interests based on people you follow and interact with. What this very smart piece of machine learning can’t prepare for is the individual you… the ‘you’ that your parents and friends know and understand.
Due to brands not really considering the ‘human’ you, this can sometimes lead to ads that are very insensitive and inconsiderate to the user’s needs. If a brand is going to place itself directly into the user’s personal devices, they need to start to understand the user on a personal level.
I myself suffer from epilepsy, a common condition that affects the brain and causes seizures. My seizures can be brought on by various triggers such as stress, lack of sleep and intense flashing lights.
Recently I was scrolling through my feed when I came across this ad…
⚠️ The following clip contains flashing imagery, people with photosensitive conditions are advised to look away ⚠️
https://twitter.com/playapex/status/1107790917744771072?s=12
The ad contains a trailer for the latest release of “Apex Legends”. A video game which is available across multiple games consoles. I’m most likely seeing this ad due to the fact I fall into some kind of target audience group that the brand have created. The ad autoplayed on my feed without any warning — something that to myself and other people who suffer from epilepsy is very dangerous. Thankfully, after immediately thinking “OH SH*T!” I quickly scrolled past the ad. Unfortunately, this is not the first something like this has happened.
The reality is, humans can’t align to a user persona document that is based on assumptions and stereotypes. We have conditions that need to be considered on a more diverse level. There is a big difference between knowing your audience is between 18–35 and truly knowing your audience.
“Do brands know and consider their audiences as much as they think they do?”
Brands should take a step back and be more considerate when crafting creative, yes this ad is disruptive but has it been eye-catching for totally the wrong reasons…
Marketing can have a huge effect on your audience, just make sure it’s a positive one…
Help me raise awareness of these horrible flashing social media ads with a share and a 👏 #FlashAhh
