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Facebook Takes Another Hit

In a shocking turn of events, Facebook now faces yet another legal crisis. This time, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development has charged Facebook with housing discrimination. The department alleges that the network’s ad platform promoted housing discrimination because its technology restricted who could view housing-related ads, based on data Facebook collects from its users.

This news comes just days after Facebook announced it would overhaul its ad targeting system. The overhaul is part of a settlement for another lawsuit involving the ACLU, National Fair Housing Alliance and a number of other groups. Find out more details about Facebook’s latest problems here: https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-facing-housing-discrimination-charges-from-hud-2019-3

MLB’s Young Stars Kick Off Opening Day

As of last Thursday, baseball season is officially upon us! To celebrate its Opening Day, Major League Baseball gathered 11 of baseball’s young superstars for a video promoting the start of a new season. The spot features the players in a mock press conference, as they jokingly mock each other’s teams and boldly predict their home run numbers for the year. It also subtly shows the diversity of the league, with a number of foreign players speaking in their native languages.

According to the MLB, the spot is intended to showcase the sport’s exciting young stars and their unique off-field personalities. This ad follows their 2018 post-season campaign “Rewrite the Rules,” which highlighted the players’ best on-field performances. Watch the full video here: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/mlb-lets-its-young-superstars-loose-in-its-opening-day-ad/

Drug Prices in Commercials

For years, the US pharmaceutical industry has been criticized for having the highest prescription drug prices in the world. To provide more clarity, law makers have discussed legislation that would require companies to include drug prices in their advertisements. However, Johnson & Johnson has now taken the leap, even without official regulations. Its blood thinner, Xarelto, will soon become the first drug to feature its price in a TV commercial.

In its next Xarelto commercial, Johnson & Johnson will include both the monthly list price of the drug, as well as a price estimate with an insurance co-pay. Will Johnson & Johnson earn customers’ trust by being the first to advertise prices, and will other drug companies follow suit? Read on here: http://fortune.com/2019/03/29/xeralto-ads-price/

DoorDash Stands with Immigrant-Led Restaurants

Restaurant delivery service DoorDash recently announced a new cause marketing campaign titled Kitchens Without Borders. The campaign supports restaurants run by immigrants and refugees, highlighting their stories and offering the stores a free delivery promotion. DoorDash will launch the campaign with ten diverse restaurants in the San Francisco area.

DoorDash’s campaign follows similar initiatives from other food companies, such as Grubhub’s RestaurantHER promotion and Chipotle’s Food with Integrity campaign. While supporting political causes can be controversial, it often pays off. According to Edelman, 64 percent of consumers make a purchasing decision based on a brand’s political position. How do you think the public will respond to DoorDash’s campaign? Check it out here: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/doordashs-new-program-supports-immigrant-founded-restaurants/551530/