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The Future. Following his controversial public remarks about advertisers, Elon Musk has just launched a charm offensive at the 2024 Cannes Lions to persuade brands to return to X (formerly Twitter). If Musk can uphold a commitment to brand safety and address advertiser concerns sensibly, it’s possible that X could win back the trust of major brands and experience a resurgence in ad dollars.
Apology tour commenced
Yesterday, Elon Musk held a closed-door meeting in Cannes with 20 senior-level marketing execs from major brands like the NFL, L’Oréal, and Target to address concerns about X’s brand safety.
- Joined by X CEO Linda Yaccarino, Musk advocated for brands to return to the platform and discussed topics like AI, the state of the job market, and the “future of humanity.”
- The CMOs in the room were initially apprehensive about the meeting but left feeling optimistic, describing the meeting as a “brainstorm.”
Olive branch in the air
While Musk has mostly been met with positivity in Cannes, it’s unclear whether brands and agency leaders will accept his olive branch. Some have zero interest in hearing from the tech mogul after he’s been hostile towards social issues they care about.
X’s success may ultimately depend on maintaining a balanced approach and proving its reliability as a safe platform for free speech and accurate information — not an easy task.
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