One of Coca-Cola’s iconic advertising slogans is “the pause that refreshes.”
On Friday, Coca-Cola Co. announced it would pause spending on all social media platforms for at least 30 days, Ad Age reported.
Company officials said the beverage giant was not joining an official boycott, but clarified that “we are pausing,” CNBC reported. Coca-Cola officials did say the move was aimed at fighting racism.
Earlier Friday, Unilever, whose brands include Dove, Ben & Jerry’s and Hellmann’s, said it would halt advertising on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at least through Dec. 31, CNBC reported.
“There is no place for racism in the world and there is no place for racism on social media,” James Quincey, Coca-Cola’s CEO and chairman, said in a statement. “We will take this time to reassess our advertising policies to determine whether revisions are needed. We also expect greater accountability and transparency from our social media partners.”
A Coke spokesperson said the social media platforms will include YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, AdAge reported.
Coca-Cola’s announcement comes hours after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted a message outlining plans to tackle disinformation and label harmful content.
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