Can the Coronavirus Crisis Prompt a Correction in Brand Safety Tactics?

Publisher sources claim marketers’ brand safety concerns are leading media buyers to employ obtuse keyword blacklisting around coronavirus-related content—potentially the defining news event of the 2020s.

In the current climate, this caution creates difficulty for publishers to monetize its most popular content with programmatic buys, further compounding a widespread freeze on advertiser spend.

In an interview earlier this week with Adweek, Monica Moody, who works as a packer at an Amazon warehouse in Concord, N.C., said Amazon can and should do more, such as establishing paid sick leave and making a recent $2 per hour raise permanent. (The recent uptick in orders as people self-quaratine prompted Amazon to hire 100,000 temporary workers across the country and to offer existing workers an additional $2 per hour through April.)

“The people who live paycheck-to-paycheck can’t afford time off—why risk those people who are busting their behinds just to provide for their families when you have the money to shut down for a little while and get a deep clean and pay us while you do that?” Moody asked. “We only get paid every two weeks—you can pay that. We work hard enough—you can do it.”

I would like to make a plea to the young individuals who are watching...to please understand that you play a major role in ultimately containing this infection by not being careless and listening to the recommendations of physical separation,”

Adweek’s March Adness brand bracket pits 64 of the most innovative and attention-grabbing marketers against each other in a no-holds-barred battle for social supremacy. Only one will make it through the championship and claim a year of coveted bragging rights (honestly there’s nothing else on the line here).

During its two seasons, The CW’s drama All American has barely made a dent in the linear ratings, and is in fact one of broadcast’s least-watched primetime shows.

But on Netflix, it’s a completely different story. After Season 2 was added to the streaming service on Tuesday, it shot to the top of Netflix’s most popular shows in the U.S., and has occupied the No. 1 spot among all Netflix movies and TV shows for the past two days.

These are challenging times for all of us -- our families, our business, our colleagues. With the landscape shifting so rapidly, Adweek continues to be committed to keeping you updated in real-time. We are all in this together and will be here for you virtually over the next few months and in person at Brandweek, where we’ll reunite you with your peers. Join us Sept. 14-17, in Miami, FL. to stay up to date on the newest marketing trends, be inspired, share and learn. Sign up to stay connected.