GM accounts go silent as companies pull ads from twitter. Musk continues to lose millions
GM said it would suspend its paid advertising on Twitter and engage in discussions with the social media platform to evaluate Twitter’s new direction under Musk. But it said its brands and executives would still tweet and, “our customer care interactions on Twitter will continue,” spokesman David Barnas said.
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As of Wednesday, the last tweets to come from GM, each of its four brands and CEO Mary Barra were in mid-to-late October, before or on the day Musk bought Twitter. Musk also runs electric car company Tesla, a chief rival of GM as GM plans to launch 30 new EVs globally in the next three years.
“With a competitor owning the platform, it’s important for us to ensure our advertising strategies and data can be safely managed,” Barnas told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, on Wednesday in an emailed statement.
Musk’s ownership has been controversial since he started talking about buying the site earlier this year and he’s fed into the controversy by doing such things as reinstating the accounts of previously banned users and offering a blue check mark for a fee.
Shortly after GM, Stellantis also put a stop to advertising on Twitter to evaluate the new leadership. Stellantis North America and its brands have continued to tweet since Musk’s purchase.
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GM’s recent tweets
Barra’s last tweet was on Oct. 27, the day Musk took over. That day, she retweeted a tweet from GM’s self-driving car subsidiary Cruise that read: “Austin and Phoenix … it’s time! Join our driverless waitlist.”
Cruise started operating a driverless taxi fleet in San Francisco this year and looks to expand the business to Austin, Texas, and Phoenix before year-end.
Chevrolet last tweeted on Oct. 27 a photo of a Silverado and the post: “Cool cruisin’ nights are here. Show us your #ChevyLove and post a picture of your ride. You might just see it in our feed!”
Buick last tweeted a photo of a Buick SUV with pumpkins in the trunk on Oct. 26 wishing people a happy national pumpkin day. GMC tweeted on Oct. 26 a post promoting the Sierra pickup’s off-roading, and Cadillac, on Oct. 17, tweeted to promote the upcoming uber-luxury Celestiq and rocker Lenny Kravitz’s involvement with it.
GM’s financial arm, GM Financial last tweeted on Oct. 26 and GM corporate last tweeted on Oct. 27, promoting its EV strategy. All the accounts remain active to interact with customers.
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Billions lost in Twitter advertising
GM was spending $1.7 million a month on Twitter ads, which is fairly typical for an automotive advertising buy, according to MediaRadar, which tracks advertising-related data.
A report by Media Matters last week said half of the top 100 advertisers have halted advertising on Twitter since Musk bought the site. These advertisers have accounted for nearly $2 billion in spending on the platform since 2020, and $750 million in advertising this year, according to the report.
Part of the advertising boycott is due to the uncomfortable position the advertisers are in due to Twitter content decisions under Musk’s leadership.
Despite the lost ad revenue, Media Matters wrote that Musk continues “his rash of brand unsafe actions – including amplifying conspiracy theories, unilaterally reinstating banned accounts such as that of former President Donald Trump, courting and engaging with far-right accounts, and instituting a haphazard verification scheme that allowed extremists and scammers to purchase a blue check. This last move, in particular, opened the platform up to a variety of fraud and brand imitations.”
Musk did not respond to a tweet at him Tuesday seeking comment for this story.
Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.