You are being targeted, “On behalf of Lewis Communications”
Facebook has been on blast over the last two years (for good reason) with heavily publicized data and security breaches that have affected everything from politics to people’s private photos. Mark Zuckerberg has apologized, but the courts aren’t done with him, and the users of Facebook are feeling uneasy about how their information is being used. In response, Facebook is making a few adjustments.
Find out who is targeting you
On March 11th, 2019 Facebook will make the pivot to be more transparent about who is targeting you with an ad. The third parties (agencies, marketers, etc.) responsible for targeting certain audiences with ads will be visible if you request them to be. They are calling the rollout “On behalf of”. This attempt at transparency only affects Custom Audiences (email address, phone number) that have been uploaded by an advertiser or agency. Once those audiences are identified, they are then targeted using sponsored placements on Facebook. With this update, users will be able to click “why am I seeing this ad”, to reveal the brand or third party using Custom Audiences to target them with an ad.
What does “On behalf of” mean for brands and agencies?
Whether brands handle paid social in house or have an agency behind the wheel, they should consider the impact On behalf of may have on perceptions among their audiences. Does the target audience realize that the brand has their email address or phone number? Is that audience ok with the brand sharing this information with a third party? What’s really at stake is a consumer’s trust in your brand. How you choose to advertise to Custom Audiences will need to be more tactfully thought through, and customer data will need to be sourced ethically with full permissions given before use.
What does it mean for Facebook users?
Facebook is trying to regain your trust. And they should be. Allowing you to see who chose to advertise directly to you is the first step in that mission. Maybe, one day, Facebook will allow its users to know which third parties are targeting them on behalf of a brand every time. Maybe, but probably not…
