Despite Applebee’s Ukraine snafu, don’t pull ad spend from news
There’s risk in running ads against news coverage, but ad dollars are essential for keeping the news media healthy and audiences informed.
Applebee’s took it on the chin when its lighthearted ad was aired against CNN coverage of air raid sirens in Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
The Applebee’s spot didn’t fit the mood of the grim beginning to the first war in Europe in generations, and the brand was immediately the target of online critics and late-night TV comics.
Applebee’s was quick to shift the blame to the broadcaster for its ill-timed appearance on viewers’ screens and said it would pause ad spending.
“We are deeply concerned about the situation in Ukraine,” an Applebee’s spokesperson said in an email to Insider. “It should never have aired, and we are disappointed in the actions of the network.” Applebee’s paused advertising after learning about the ad placement.
However, when brand advertisers stop spending against news programming all together, the loss of revenue is a big problem for the overall media economy.
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