The Politics of Platforms: Should Brands Take a Stand?

Social media platforms have evolved into more than just communication tools —they’re now global power players shaping public discourse and influencing elections. So where does that leave brands, especially B2B brands, when it comes to placing ads or building communities on platforms with complicated reputations? In this episode of UnTrended, Nicole Jones is joined by Publicis Pro’s Billy Hamilton-Stent, Jamie Fewery, and Zoe Hadsley for a lively and nuanced conversation on platform politics, advertising ethics, and whether brands should (or even can) be truly principled in their platform choices. From Elon Musk’s X to Meta’s Threads, from the rise of absurdist “s**tposting” to the realities of brand risk in B2B marketing — it’s all on the table. Subscribe to The Untrended Podcast wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. Chapter Markers: (04:39) Platform Vibes: Is X Still Worth It? The team reflects on the user experience, bot takeovers, and whether engagement is dead on Elon’s watch. (08:39) Are Platforms the New Nation States? If social platforms have more power than governments, should we expect more from them — or just log off? (14:40) Ethics vs. Exposure Zoe breaks down brand safety, platform choices, and what it really means to be “responsible” in digital advertising. (19:06) Why B2B Brands Don’t Like Risk B2B companies love strategy but fear chaos — so how do they handle platforms that are unpredictable by design? (23:41) Rethinking Social in B2B Is it time to build social-first strategies instead of treating social like a dumping ground for campaign leftovers? (24:32) S**tposting 101 What it is, why it works, and how it’s changing the way B2B voices show up on platforms like LinkedIn and TikTok. (29:54) Mailbag: Do Brands Need to Be Good? Do consumers really care about ethics — or just say they do in surveys? Useful Links: Follow Nicole Jones on LinkedIn Connect with Billy Hamilton-Stent Learn more from Jamie Fewery Touch base with Zoe Hadsley on LinkedIn For more information visit the Publicis Pro Website