Elon Musk restores Trump on Twitter making brands' ad strategies even more complicated

Elon Musk made the call to restore Donald Trump on Twitter over the weekend, paving the way for the former president to return to the social media platform. Trump’s reappearance on Twitter could affect how advertisers choose to proceed with the service and comes after many brands have already pulled back on spending since Musk bought the company. Meanwhile, advertisers lost another Twitter ally after Robin Wheeler, Twitter’s head of client solutions, left her position on Friday. “To the team and my clients,” Wheeler tweeted, “you were always my first and only priority.” Wheeler also tweeted a saluting emoji, which many former Twitter employees have used to signify their departure from the company in recent days. As for the Trump decision: On Friday, Musk posted a poll to his 117.4 million followers, asking if Twitter should “reinstate former President Trump.” Then on Saturday, Musk said, “the people had spoken,” 51.8% to 48.2%, in favor of restoring Trump’s account. Musk had publicly promised that any major policy changes, like unbanning high-profile accounts, would come after careful consultation. “Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints,” Musk tweeted in late October, just after closing the $44 billion purchase of Twitter. “No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.” There was no evidence any such panel was part of the decision about Trump’s account. After the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Trump was banned from Twitter, as well as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. Trump critics connected his tweeting to the violence at the Capitol. Twitter banned Trump on Jan. 8, 2021, citing ongoing threats of violence around the inauguration of Joe Biden. Social media companies have had a hard time calibrating their moderation policies to cover all contingencies, especially when it comes to prominent users. Advertisers have pressured social media companies to establish clear policies and to be transparent about how they enforce them. Industry trade groups, like the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, work with digital ad platforms to establish guidelines about what constitutes harassment, hate speech and misinformation. Advertisers want controls that keep ads from showing up near offensive content. Ad Age Next: CMO Get your tickets for the Dec. 7 event in New York Register here Advertisers have been fleeing Twitter since Musk started running the company. Earlier this month, Omnicom Media Group sent a note to clients advising them to consider pausing advertising on Twitter. OMG’s memo followed a rash of brand impersonators on Twitter. One of Musk’s first big moves was to start charging $8 for an account to get a “blue check,” which had been a way to verify that an account was legitimate. Then some accounts, which bought blue check marks, posed tweets disguised as major brands like Pepsi, Nintendo and Eli Lilly and Company. OMG, in its memo to brands, recommended advertisers suspend advertising on Twitter “until the platform can prove that it has reintroduced safeguards to an acceptable level.” In early November, IPG’s Mediabrands sent a note to clients urging caution on Twitter. Mondelēz, General Motors, General Mills and more brands have paused ads. An Ad Age analysis found that the ad mix on Twitter has shifted from major brands to more obscure websites and online retailers. Musk has acknowledged the advertising fallout, tweeting in early November that there had been a “massive drop in revenue.” At the same time, Musk has been reveling in claims that there has been record amounts of activity on the platform. “Twitter is alive,” Musk tweeted emphatically on Saturday, after announcing Trump’s return. As of Sunday morning, Trump’s account was restored, but he had not tweeted.

Elon Musk restores Trump on Twitter making brands' ad strategies even more complicated

Featured Stories