Tech billionaire Elon Musk said on Friday that he appreciates major brands resuming advertising on his social media platform, X, after boycotting it due to ‘brand safety’ concerns. This comes after reports of several brands returning to the platform following US President-elect Donald Trump’s victory and Musk’s appointment to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Social media personality Mario Nawfal shared on X that companies like IBM, Disney, Comcast, and Discovery have resumed advertising on the platform after a year-long boycott, citing a CNBC report.
“IBM, Disney, Comcast, Discovery, Warner Bros, and Lionsgate Entertainment have reportedly resumed ad campaigns on 𝕏 after an almost year-long boycott. The return is attributed to @lindayaX’s leadership, as she rebuilds trust and ad partnerships on the platform,” Nawfal posted.
Musk responded to Nawfal’s post, saying, “Just want to say that we super appreciate major brands resuming advertising on our platform!” He also expressed gratitude toward X CEO Linda Yaccarino and other team members for their efforts in restoring advertisers’ confidence.
“Thanks @lindayaX and the whole 𝕏 team for your hard work in restoring confidence in our platform and ensuring that advertising content only appears where advertisers want it shown,” Musk added.
Advertiser support for X reportedly dropped by 24% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, according to Tech Informed. The decline was attributed to concerns over “brand safety” following Musk’s takeover of the platform in October 2022.
A September CNN report also suggested that more companies were considering pulling ads from X next year due to concerns that their brands could be harmed by the platform’s content. A survey by market research company Kantar revealed that 26% more marketers plan to decrease their spending on X ads in 2025, marking the largest recorded decline in ad spending for any major global platform.
Only 4% of marketers surveyed expressed confidence in X’s brand safety measures, compared to 39% for Google, according to CNN.