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Twitter CEO Elon Musk talks with NBCUniversal Head of Advertising Linda Yaccarino at the marketing conference “Twitter 2.0: From Conversations to Partnerships” held in Miami Beach on April 18, 2023. Chandan Khanna—AFP via Getty Images
A month before Twitter CEO Elon Musk announced his replacement for NBCUniversal’s head of advertising, Linda Yaccarino, she interviewed him onstage in Florida to show him his backbone.
At several points during the interview at the Twitter 2.0: From Conversations to Partnerships conference in April, the less determined interviewer may have moved on to other topics, but Yaccarino said Musk was I kept applying pressure.
The audience was filled with marketing execs, many of whom were wary of advertising on Twitter after Musk bought the company for $44 billion last year. Advertising has long been Twitter’s main source of revenue, but that revenue plummeted when Musk, a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist,” bought the company. Advertisers had canceled or scaled back their campaigns, fearing their campaigns would come close to spreading racism, conspiracy and other offensive content.
“I’d like a little push, but there’s a lot of people in this room, and they’re voting with their wallets,” Yaccarino told Musk. Some of them have faced the “challenge” of Mr. Musk’s controversial “point of view” (who regularly tweets about politics and business), but remain “reluctant” and Some people don’t, she said, adding, “What are you going to tell them?” this room? “
Musk responded that viewers should take his tweets with a grain of salt because it’s hard to convey tone in a tweet. “So even sarcasm or jokes or something like that can be taken seriously if it’s not,” he said as the media compete with Twitter for advertising dollars. , accused his tweets of turning in the worst direction.
She also asked if Musk’s tweets should be held to a higher standard, noting that “a lot of people think he’s too provocative.”
“I think the same standards that apply to everyone on Twitter should apply to me,” Musk said. He then attacked traditional journalists, emphasizing the importance of boosting citizen journalism, stating, “It’s very important to hear people’s voices… let people decide the story, not five editor-in-chiefs.” , let the truth be determined.” Responsible for major publications. “
Yaccarino replied: “Now let me take you back to what’s important to the people in this room: protecting their advertising campaigns.” “I need an opportunity to make an impact,” he said.
“If I said, ‘Yes, you can influence me,’ it would be wrong,” Musk said. ” he replied.
Yacarino pushed this point further, rather than moving on.
“I want to talk specifically about influence. It’s an open feedback loop for evolving Twitter into a place.That’s what influence is all about.”
Mr. Musk replied: “It’s totally fine to say that you want your ad to appear in certain places on Twitter and not elsewhere. But it’s not cool to try to say what Twitter will be like. If it means losing advertising dollars, we lose it.But free speech is paramount.”
Musk applauded that line, but another interviewer may have switched the subject at that point. But Yaccarino pushed on. She added that the old Twitter had “a hugely populated, much-loved Influence Council, and they were or would have been regulars to you.” pointed out. Under Musk, Twitter canceled its Ad Influence Council. The Advertising Influence Council is a quarterly meeting between Twitter and about 30 of its top advertisers to discuss a variety of business issues.
She described the council as “a regular feedback loop from key stakeholders and advertisers,” and asked onstage if she would commit to reviving the council.
Musk opposed the idea of a “Council of Influence,” but agreed that “feedback would be appropriate,” adding, “If someone is spending money on an advertising campaign, that organization needs to get results.” Yes, otherwise it doesn’t make sense,” he added. ”
As an interviewer that day, Yaccarino got to the point by getting to know the audience: marketing professionals wondering whether to advertise on Twitter. Nonetheless, she delivered her strong performance, demonstrating her willingness to keep pushing Twitter owners. Now she has to answer the owner.
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