Elon Musk hired Linda Yaccarino as CEO of X, formerly known as Twitter, in an unexpected decision, with high hopes that her stay would signal the return of advertisers who had abandoned the network. Despite these ambitions, many prominent firms appear hesitant to jump on the X bandwagon. Instead, they've set their sights on other advertising opportunities for the forthcoming holiday season, which has historically been associated with ad income windfalls.
X, the social media behemoth, has been struggling to restore the trust of advertisers who abandoned the site following Musk's turbulent takeover and controversial policy changes, which significantly hit the company's annual income. Unfortunately for Yaccarino, time is running out for a spectacular reversal this year, as many advertising executives in charge of significant brand investments have indicated.
Traditionally, marketers finalize their holiday budgets by August, making the last quarter of the year the pinnacle of X's revenue generation. Natasha Blumenkron, VP of Paid Social at Tinuiti, a prestigious promoting firm, referenced that it would require a huge change and a convincing justification behind them to encourage their sponsors to move their financial plans back to that stage. Subsequently, none of Tinuiti's promoters plan to put advertisements on X during the Christmas season. All things considered, they redirect their resources toward stages like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and even Snapchat.
Jason Harris, CEO of the marketing agency Mekanism, which has customers such as Alaska Airlines, Charles Schwab, and Dropbox, laments Twitter's decline. He admits that Twitter was a part of every plan in the past, but marketers are now gravitating toward more reliable channels like TikTok, Reels, or even YouTube Shorts.
A representative from a central advertising agency, preferring anonymity while discussing internal metrics, disclosed that their spending on X has plummeted by more than 60% compared to the previous year.
X has tried to entice advertisers back, giving bargains and incentives. Still, these enticements fail to address the platform's core worry - the platform's tarnished reputation for accepting nasty, abusive, or racist content since Musk's takeover. Several advertising agency representatives confirmed that some clients are still hesitant to return to X due to concerns about their promotions displaying alongside inappropriate content.
Lou Paskalis, Chief Strategy Officer of Ad Fontes Media, is not optimistic about X, claiming that few marketers are actively considering boosting their investments in Twitter advertising. Furthermore, if they do, the expected levels will be much lower than earlier expenditures.
X's recent decisions have only exacerbated the situation, with the retirement of popular ad formats and plans to remove the feature that allows users to block others receiving backlash from advertisers. Advertisers are no longer astonished by Musk's propensity for abrupt shifts over a year into his employment. Steve Susi, Director of Brand Communication at Siegel & Gale, explained that they have become accustomed to formulating response tactics. He went on to say that shifting budgets from Twitter has become standard in major advertisers' media departments.
Shortly after Musk's takeover, advertising agencies like WPP, IPG, and Omnicom advised their clients to halt or contemplate suspending their ads on X. However, when Yaccarino assumed the CEO role in May, several advertisers indicated their willingness to reconsider advertising on the platform, hoping that she would bring stability, clean up content, mend relationships with agencies, and act as a steadying influence.
While X has developed tools to improve businesses' control over ad placement and repaired a few relationships since Yaccarino's hiring, some agencies claim that the initial enthusiasm has faded.
After reflecting on Yaccarino's tenure, Jason Harris stated that there was a widespread sense of excitement when she was appointed. He claimed there was a brief period of hope, but it has faded dramatically. Furthermore, he stated that this circumstance harms her image by giving the appearance that she lacks power.
Contrary to Musk's bursts of anger and attacks on critics, Yaccarino's upbeat posts on the platform have contributed to this perception.
Some advertising firm executives in charge of paid social media efforts have yet to meet Yaccarino. Her absence from this year's Cannes Lions Festival, a significant industry event, has also raised concerns. According to the New York Times, Yaccarino's contract with NBCUniversal initially prohibited her from seeking transactions that would conflict with her old company. Nonetheless, since taking the helm, Yaccarino has been personally engaging with brands and companies, including talent agencies CAA and UTA, as well as Walt Disney Co., according to the Financial Times. She has also been speaking informally with ad agency execs she knows personally.
Recently, Yaccarino announced the addition of new members to X's sales and agency teams, individuals who will collaborate directly with advertisers. When Musk let go of or terminated 75% of X's staff, employees with solid advertiser relationships bore the brunt, leaving many agencies without contact points.
Despite these efforts, ad revenue remains stagnant, still down by 60%, as acknowledged by Musk earlier this month, without specifying a particular timeframe. Stephen Brandow, Vice President of Paid Social at Mediahub, which boasts clients like the NBA, Lyft, and JetBlue and continues to advertise on X, remarks that the overall experience of working with X has not changed significantly since her appointment. However, he suggests they can anticipate her gradual adjustment to the role, implying that it might take some time for her to fully settle in.
In contrast, others believe X is no longer a relevant or viable option. Marc Beckham, CEO of DMA United, which has worked with clients such as Pepsi, Tom Ford, and Warner Bros., claims that they haven't actively advised their clients to enter that market.
In conclusion, X's uphill battle to regain advertisers' trust before the holiday season seems fraught with challenges, as significant brands remain hesitant to return, citing concerns over the platform's content policies and the perceived lack of stability. While the arrival of Linda Yaccarino inspired initial optimism for a comeback, doubts have developed as X grapples with its shattered brand, and advertisers increasingly seek safety in more dependable advertising routes.
Read next: X Might Soon Roll Out Autosave Feature for Posts
X, the social media behemoth, has been struggling to restore the trust of advertisers who abandoned the site following Musk's turbulent takeover and controversial policy changes, which significantly hit the company's annual income. Unfortunately for Yaccarino, time is running out for a spectacular reversal this year, as many advertising executives in charge of significant brand investments have indicated.
Traditionally, marketers finalize their holiday budgets by August, making the last quarter of the year the pinnacle of X's revenue generation. Natasha Blumenkron, VP of Paid Social at Tinuiti, a prestigious promoting firm, referenced that it would require a huge change and a convincing justification behind them to encourage their sponsors to move their financial plans back to that stage. Subsequently, none of Tinuiti's promoters plan to put advertisements on X during the Christmas season. All things considered, they redirect their resources toward stages like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and even Snapchat.
Jason Harris, CEO of the marketing agency Mekanism, which has customers such as Alaska Airlines, Charles Schwab, and Dropbox, laments Twitter's decline. He admits that Twitter was a part of every plan in the past, but marketers are now gravitating toward more reliable channels like TikTok, Reels, or even YouTube Shorts.
A representative from a central advertising agency, preferring anonymity while discussing internal metrics, disclosed that their spending on X has plummeted by more than 60% compared to the previous year.
X has tried to entice advertisers back, giving bargains and incentives. Still, these enticements fail to address the platform's core worry - the platform's tarnished reputation for accepting nasty, abusive, or racist content since Musk's takeover. Several advertising agency representatives confirmed that some clients are still hesitant to return to X due to concerns about their promotions displaying alongside inappropriate content.
Lou Paskalis, Chief Strategy Officer of Ad Fontes Media, is not optimistic about X, claiming that few marketers are actively considering boosting their investments in Twitter advertising. Furthermore, if they do, the expected levels will be much lower than earlier expenditures.
X's recent decisions have only exacerbated the situation, with the retirement of popular ad formats and plans to remove the feature that allows users to block others receiving backlash from advertisers. Advertisers are no longer astonished by Musk's propensity for abrupt shifts over a year into his employment. Steve Susi, Director of Brand Communication at Siegel & Gale, explained that they have become accustomed to formulating response tactics. He went on to say that shifting budgets from Twitter has become standard in major advertisers' media departments.
Shortly after Musk's takeover, advertising agencies like WPP, IPG, and Omnicom advised their clients to halt or contemplate suspending their ads on X. However, when Yaccarino assumed the CEO role in May, several advertisers indicated their willingness to reconsider advertising on the platform, hoping that she would bring stability, clean up content, mend relationships with agencies, and act as a steadying influence.
While X has developed tools to improve businesses' control over ad placement and repaired a few relationships since Yaccarino's hiring, some agencies claim that the initial enthusiasm has faded.
After reflecting on Yaccarino's tenure, Jason Harris stated that there was a widespread sense of excitement when she was appointed. He claimed there was a brief period of hope, but it has faded dramatically. Furthermore, he stated that this circumstance harms her image by giving the appearance that she lacks power.
Contrary to Musk's bursts of anger and attacks on critics, Yaccarino's upbeat posts on the platform have contributed to this perception.
Some advertising firm executives in charge of paid social media efforts have yet to meet Yaccarino. Her absence from this year's Cannes Lions Festival, a significant industry event, has also raised concerns. According to the New York Times, Yaccarino's contract with NBCUniversal initially prohibited her from seeking transactions that would conflict with her old company. Nonetheless, since taking the helm, Yaccarino has been personally engaging with brands and companies, including talent agencies CAA and UTA, as well as Walt Disney Co., according to the Financial Times. She has also been speaking informally with ad agency execs she knows personally.
Recently, Yaccarino announced the addition of new members to X's sales and agency teams, individuals who will collaborate directly with advertisers. When Musk let go of or terminated 75% of X's staff, employees with solid advertiser relationships bore the brunt, leaving many agencies without contact points.
Despite these efforts, ad revenue remains stagnant, still down by 60%, as acknowledged by Musk earlier this month, without specifying a particular timeframe. Stephen Brandow, Vice President of Paid Social at Mediahub, which boasts clients like the NBA, Lyft, and JetBlue and continues to advertise on X, remarks that the overall experience of working with X has not changed significantly since her appointment. However, he suggests they can anticipate her gradual adjustment to the role, implying that it might take some time for her to fully settle in.
In contrast, others believe X is no longer a relevant or viable option. Marc Beckham, CEO of DMA United, which has worked with clients such as Pepsi, Tom Ford, and Warner Bros., claims that they haven't actively advised their clients to enter that market.
In conclusion, X's uphill battle to regain advertisers' trust before the holiday season seems fraught with challenges, as significant brands remain hesitant to return, citing concerns over the platform's content policies and the perceived lack of stability. While the arrival of Linda Yaccarino inspired initial optimism for a comeback, doubts have developed as X grapples with its shattered brand, and advertisers increasingly seek safety in more dependable advertising routes.
Read next: X Might Soon Roll Out Autosave Feature for Posts
