Twitter has had a rough month under new owner Elon Musk, with major companies — General Motors, United Airlines, REI, etc. — pausing advertising.
Concern about the functionality on the site is one issue, but there has also been a surge in hate speech on the website, according to the Center for Countering Digital Hate, the Anti-Defamation League and other groups that study online platforms.
Concern about misinformation and distasteful content, in part linked to Musk reinstating formerly banned accounts, has raised concerns from some companies that don't want to be associated with unsavory posts.
There are still a lot of companies still advertising on the site, because of strong audience engagement and Twitter saying it will continue content protections.
Q: Should businesses pause advertising on Twitter?
Lynn Reaser, economist
YES: Advertisers have to protect their brand names and association with Twitter now is a significant risk. Musk's fight with Tim Cook raises questions over his leadership. Legitimate users dominate the site, but there is a fringe element of inflammatory content and fake news. Musk has fired content moderation employees while others have resigned en masse. There is a question whether the company can control content under erratic leadership.
Phil Blair, Manpower
YES: Companies are now held accountable by their customers for their support of any advertising media they choose to use. Until Twitter stops being so volatile, companies that want to protect their reputation should not advertise.
Gary London, London Moeder Advisors
YES: Elon Musk is my innovation hero. But like other great barons of commerce before him (think Henry Ford) he apparently believes he now has the license and wisdom to go off the deep end, using the purchase of Twitter to save his version of the world. It's perfectly appropriate for advertisers to send him the message, which is "stick to your knitting"! It might help nudge him to concentrate on solving the Mars problem instead.
Bob Rauch, R.A. Rauch & Associates
NO: Unless you are more about politics and less about return on ad spend, now is the time to negotiate a great deal for your company to be advertising with Twitter. The company is offering matching dollars for advertising up to $1 million. Elon Musk is not a right-wing crazy, he is a businessman. So, my recommendation is to vote for return on ad spend. Your morals will not be compromised but your business might benefit.
James Hamilton, UC San Diego
NO: I'm deeply troubled by the fragmentation of America into isolated groups who won't talk with or listen to each other. When Twitter banned dissemination of demonstrably true facts in order to protect people in power, it only made the problem worse. That kind of self-serving censorship only deepens distrust and misunderstanding. The suggested boycott of Twitter is not about hate speech. It's a coordinated effort by those in power to bring Elon Musk down.
Austin Neudecker, Weave Growth
NO: While I am not a fan of Twitter's inconsistent moderation, advertising decisions are up to individual companies. Businesses first compare the cost to acquire customers by advertising channel. Increasingly, they should also consider the public relation implications; do you want your brand to appear next to a hateful message? If the chaos continues, I would not want my companies to spend money that amplifies harmful speech. Ultimately, Twitter's content moderation decisions will determine its future.
Chris Van Gorder, Scripps Health
YES: I'm an advocate of free speech but as a health care provider also believe misinformation can hurt and even kill. Companies have the right and the obligation to ensure that their ad content and the media in which it is placed reflects the core values of its board, shareholders and customers. Choosing not to advertise on Twitter or any other media is an expression of those values. They should be commended for putting principles above profits, not criticized.
Norm Miller, University of San Diego
NO: I do not use or read Tweets. I would never see such an ad. Ads should be focused on a target audience. I have no idea how much user profiles are matched to directed versus general ads. I would presume that today all ads are targeted, and if so, an advertiser should be able to focus on those individuals that match their business. That decision has little to do with Elon Musk, who seems to be destroying Twitter's value by the hour.
Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere
NO: In general, advertising should make business sense for each corporation. Regarding Twitter, Elon Musk just acquired the platform and both corporations and individuals should give the platform a chance during the transitional period before making decisions on pulling or pausing advertising or terminating accounts. Musk has a proven track record of spearheading disruptive technology; just look at what he has done with Tesla and SpaceX. Given time, Musk and his team will also make changes at Twitter which could be both positive and groundbreaking.
David Ely, San Diego State University
YES: The risk of a company's ads appearing next to objectionable content is now high. The drastic drop in the number of Twitter employees and new operating policies will have an impact on the number of Twitter followers and the performance of the platform. This impact is unclear making it difficult to forecast the return on Twitter ads. Temporarily shifting advertising to other digital platforms will be the best course of action for many companies.
Ray Major, SANDAG
NO: Politics should not be the primary driver of advertising decisions. Advertisers should make decisions based on the intended audience they seek to reach and to optimize their return on their marketing dollars — not to make a political statement. Regardless of who the CEO of Twitter is or any other company, businesses should base advertising decisions on getting a return on their advertising investments.
Caroline Freund, UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy
YES: Businesses should pause advertising until they are confident that Twitter is protecting against misinformation and hate speech. Hitting Elon in the pocket is the best way to pressure Twitter to act responsibly. Pausing also sends a message about one's own values, and having an ad scroll near distasteful content is risky business. Advertisers can always return if Twitter improves.
Kelly Cunningham, San Diego Institute for Economic Research
NO: Not necessarily. There are numerous reasons and ways for businesses to advertise products. Twitter is offering generous incentives to advertisers as some businesses withdraw from the platform. It may be easier to stand above advertising clutter as Twitter's visibility is also increased with Elon Musk's controversial acquisition. Controversy is a means to enhance visibility among myriad advertising strategies. Truth can deal with dissent, debate and various opinions, while calls for censorship may attempt to cover falsehoods.
