Thomas Barta: If data were a drug, marketers would be the cartel bosses – not Facebook

Communication could be marketer’s most powerful tool. But it’s complicated.
Facebook is plagued by questions about its data policies and how ads on its platforms have influenced voters (including in the US election and Brexit). YouTube ads appear next to hate speech. Millions of dollars get lost in agencies’ shady media deals. Many social media metrics remind me of La La Land (P&G cut millions of social advertising dollars without negative sales effect). TV ads appear when