Beckett Simonon’s Response To The Facebook Boycott

Please be assured that Beckett Simonon does not support or condone any type or form of hate speech or discrimination. We issued a statement in March supporting anti-racism efforts, and we made a donation to the NAACP to help further the cause for justice. We also paused all of our ads on Blackout Tuesday. These actions might not seem to be a lot, but for a small company such as ours, they are large steps. And they are reflective of our core values.

We completely understand and appreciate the passionate response against Facebook’s position regarding posts that have been seen as promoting hate, misinformation, and extremism. However, the unfortunate truth of the matter is that Facebook ads play a big role in our ability to survive.

Beckett Simonon doesn’t have access to gigantic budgets like major corporations do, and we rely on our capacity to generate daily cash flows. Not only are the ads a sales tool, they also provide an avenue for people to connect with us, and each other, on matters concerning their orders and our products. We have deliberately targeted our ads only to people who have engaged with us before. That said, our overall Facebook ad spend has decreased 75% and we're exploring alternatives to advertise in other ways.

We always consider the best interest of our diverse customers while standing behind our social values and commitment to our employees. For example, since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic we were able to retain all of our employees during a difficult lockdown period. This included our team of artisans who were unable to work as they waited-out the quarantine at home. Fortunately, we were able to continue paying them full salaries and provide them with full benefits. No one had to worry about being laid off or furloughed. This would have been impossible without the sales revenue generated in part by our ads, and the support of our amazing customers.

As we begin to emerge from lockdown and get back to work, our ad revenue is integral to keeping our company in business. Over 90 families depend upon our ability to generate sales. And, as an online-only company, we rely heavily on digital advertising.

This is in no way an excuse, support, or apology for how Facebook operates. At the moment Facebook is an important way for us to continue to reach our customers, and for our customers to reach us.

The Beckett Simonon team.