How Facebook (sort of) guesses at race to target ads

Recently, Universal Pictures disclosed that it used “customized racial targeting” for the film Straight Outta Compton. On Facebook, it showed different trailers to different segments of the population. Business Insider describes the plan:

The [trailer for the] “general population” (non-African American, non-Hispanic) [assumed that viewers were not] familiar with N.W.A., or with the musical catalog of Ice Cube and Dr. Dre . . . . The trailer marketed to them on Facebook had no mention of N.W.A. but sold the movie as a story of the rise of Ice Cube and Dr. Dre.

The trailer marketed to African Americans was completely different. Universal assumed this segment of the population had a baseline familiarity with N.W.A. “They put Compton on the map,” [Doug Neil, Universal’s EVP of digital marketing] said. This trailer opens with the word N.W.A. and continues to lean on it heavily throughout.

How did Universal actually target these trailers? The answer is Facebook’s “ethnic affinity” ad targeting features, which it’s offered since 2014. Facebook is careful to say that it targets ads on affinity — “a similarity of characteristics” — not ethnicity per se. In a tutorial, Facebook says

We are using the term “Multicultural Affinity” to describe the quality of people who are interested in and likely to respond well to multicultural content. What we are referring to in these affinity groups is not their genetic makeup, but their affinity to the cultures they are interested in.

Is the concept of “affinity” just a hedge? “[T]he circumstantial evidence — as well as plain old common sense — suggests that this tool is aimed at targeting certain ads at people based on their race or ethnicity,” argues Annalee Newitz of Ars Technica. But Newitz also explains that there is some nuance:

[Facebook says it] never looks at census data, names, photos, or private information. Instead, they focus on what language you speak, where you’re from, and what interests you declare. Let’s say you are a fan of BET and have shown an interest in #BlackLivesMatter — well, then, you might be categorized as part of an African-American ethnic affinity.

That doesn’t mean that Facebook has identified you as a black person, Facebook reps hasten to say. It just means that you seem like you would be interested in black culture or activities.

In any case, it’s clear that targeting people for ads based on their “ethnic affinities” deserves special scrutiny.

Universal claims that its advertising scheme was a “complete success.” But what about other marketers? Expect more from us on this topic soon.