Why We’re Team Internet

The battle for net neutrality rages on. While the FCC takes aim at California’s net neutrality bill—a bill that many believe will carve a path for other states to follow—we revisit our argument that an open internet is the best internet for business.

Last year, in an article for Ad Age, Shelly Palmer posited that the end of net neutrality might actually be a positive shift for marketers. With “hundreds of different rate plans targeted at specific cohorts,” the end of net neutrality could be “a perfect opportunity to pair programmatic creative with programmatic media buying.” However, this argument oversimplifies marketing and ignores a large — and rapidly growing — population of consumers.

Looking to the Future

Millennials, the largest generation in U.S. history, have grown up with the internet. Tech-savvy and connected (over 85% own smartphones), millennials are reshaping the market landscape. In fact, by 2018, they’ll have more spending power than any other generation — an estimated $3.39 trillion.

So while targeted advertising might be easier without an open internet, doesn’t it make sense to consider what works for the largest consumer base with the most buying power? The end of net neutrality could mean the end of marketing approaches that resonate most with millennials, like influencer power, user-generated content, and authenticity.

Content Is Community

Marketing surprise: Millennials don’t respond to the hard sell. They want opinions and reviews from friends, family members, and strangers. When making purchasing decisions, 84% of millennials head to the internet to reference user-generated content. They look to influencers for product reviews and ratings. To market to a millennial is to get involved across a number of platforms and engage with real people.

Net neutrality makes this type of marketing possible — and powerful. But soon, carriers like Verizon and AT&T could start charging for access to the apps marketers and influencers rely on most. For example, say Verizon starts charging high prices to access Instagram; this would obviously be a barrier to some of the 71% of businesses that currently use the app for marketing purposes. ISPs like Comcast could change offerings to give the fastest speeds to corporations with the deepest pockets, leaving individuals and small businesses — like marketing and design agencies, tech startups, and your friend’s brewery — to battle for exposure at dial-up speeds (something that’s often fatal for businesses).

For the Greater Good

The next generation of consumers is more likely to buy from brands that are authentic, transparent, and community-oriented. A whopping 75% of millennials think companies should “give back to society.” Meanwhile, the FCC’s decision to repeal net neutrality is expected to hinder user accessibility, make it harder to find unbiased information, harm small and medium-sized businesses, and benefit giant corporations. The repeal has the power to exacerbate the disdain that many young consumers already feel for targeted advertising — exactly the opposite effect that advertisers want.

Ending net neutrality is bad for everyone — including all the Scrooge McDucks and giant corporations it’s supposed to benefit — because it stifles innovation in numerous industries, including marketing and advertising. The FCC’s repeal is bad for everyone and it’s bad for marketers.

Saving the Open Internet

But the fight isn’t over. People recently became incensed when it was revealed that Verizon impeded public safety by throttling the data speeds of California firefighters while they were fighting the biggest wildfire in the state’s history. And although Verizon claims the situation was unrelated to net neutrality, many—including the fire department itself—are doubtful.

Meanwhile, more than half of the states in the U.S. are working to enact their own net neutrality rules, including Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. The most high-profile example is California, where a net neutrality bill recently passed by a vote of 61–18 and is now on its way to the governor’s desk.

Even Ajit Pai agrees: “The internet is the greatest free market innovation in history.” But we must act to guarantee a level playing field and sustain innovation when our country needs it most. Activism works. Team Internet can win. Get involved at battleforthenet.com.

Looking for a passionate, savvy marketing team? Say hello.

Originally published December 2017; revised September 2018.