In an unexpected turn of events for the social media landscape, several high-profile advertisers including Disney, IBM, Comcast, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Lionsgate Entertainment have announced their return to advertising on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. This move comes after a nearly year-long boycott sparked by concerns over content moderation and brand safety following controversial statements by X’s owner, Elon Musk.
The decision to resume advertising on X was largely attributed to the platform’s efforts to restore advertiser confidence under the leadership of CEO Linda Yaccarino.
Yaccarino, who has been instrumental in attempting to pivot X towards a more advertiser-friendly environment, expressed gratitude on behalf of X, saying, “Just want to say that we super appreciate major brands resuming advertising on our platform! Thanks to Linda Yaccarino and the whole X team for your hard work in restoring confidence in our platform.”
From January to September 2024, these brands collectively spent less than $3.3 million on X, marking a 98% year-over-year drop from the previous year’s $170 million during the same period. Despite the significant reduction, their return signals a cautious yet pivotal step towards reintegration with the platform, especially after their ads were previously associated with content promoting hate speech and antisemitism.
The advertising pull-back initially started in November 2023, following Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory, which led to widespread criticism and the exodus of advertisers. The situation was further complicated by a report from Media Matters for America, highlighting that ads from these companies appeared next to far-right content, prompting an immediate advertising freeze.
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