Internet for Growth Coalition meets with Congress to prevent ‘techlash’ from damaging jobs and economy
WASHINGTON, May 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Small business owners from across the country met with over two dozen offices of the US House and Senate last week to highlight the importance of digital advertising. Nine out of ten small businesses use digital advertising to compete in today’s online economy. Without digital advertising, many small businesses would not be able to advertise at all, but Washington legislation that severely restricts or eliminates customer data would make digital advertising more expensive and less effective.
“Digital advertising is the lifeblood of many small businesses and legislation like the AMERICA Act would undermine that,” said Brendan Thomas, executive director of Internet for Growth. “Small businesses have faced numerous challenges in recent years, such as the pandemic, inflation and the possibility of a recession. Digital advertising has been a lifeline, allowing businesses to reach consumers in the most cost-effective way. Congress debated a variety of legislation last year, such as the American Data Privacy Protection Act (ADPPA), that would have a devastating impact on small businesses. It’s important that Congress hear from these business owners about the importance of this resource before they re-enact legislation that would bust small businesses.
Companies shared their stories with Congress about how digital advertising drives their success and expressed concern about laws that would undermine digital advertising. “We’ve seen companies leverage digital advertising to grow their business, expand their market and exceed their quarterly goals,” said Drew Ament, owner of marketing firm Press1toTalk, based in Phoenix, Arizona. “It’s important that we tell Congress that digital advertising enables small businesses to compete with large global corporations.”
Following meetings with Congress, Internet for Growth members joined Paul Martino, Vice President and Senior Policy Counsel of the National Retail Federation, for a panel discussion on Capitol Hill to highlight the importance of digital advertising for local businesses, including the retail sector . At the panel discussion, Grandma Christina, founder and CEO of The Hair Chest in Westerville, Ohio, a hair care and restoration company, said, “Digital advertising has allowed me to customize my message in a way that I’m sure I’m getting that.” most of my advertising money.
Internet for Growth represents hundreds of small businesses that rely on personalized advertising and low-cost digital advertising tools. Internet for Growth supports sound privacy laws, protects small business advertising tools, and ensures predictability and reliability within the digital advertising ecosystem.
Internet for Growth, an initiative of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, supports the transformative role the ad-supported Internet is playing in empowering America’s small businesses and helping entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life. Supported by a diverse community of over 700 IAB members, including marketers, agencies, publishers, platforms and ad tech providers, as well as hundreds of small businesses and creatives, we highlight the benefits the internet is bringing to local economies and the opportunities for innovators expands markets far beyond their neighborhoods. Our work ensures that people, regardless of their background or geography, understand the limitless opportunities the internet offers for creativity and commerce, fair competition and connecting with consumers through shared values and interests.
SOURCE Internet for growth
