They Can Go F**k Themselves

Did Elon Musk say FU to advertisers? Yes, at The New York Times DealBook Summit.

At Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting earlier this year, Elon Musk, the man who doesn’t believe in advertising, said, “A lot of people follow the Tesla account or my account on Twitter (now X), to some degree it is preaching to the choir, and the choir is already convinced . . . so we’ll try a little advertising and see how it goes.”

Now he has slammed advertisers who have stopped using his platform X, saying it will kill the platform.

When the world’s richest man (net worth USD245 billion) says he will not be blackmailed by advertisers money, one has to sit up.

He even took a shot at Bob Iger, CEO of the Walt Disney Company, one of the companies that pulled advertising from X.

A few days later, he demanded Bob be fired, saying, “Walt Disney is turning in his grave over what Bob has done to his company.”

Disney, like other major companies, stopped advertising on X after Elon endorsed an antisemitic conspiracy theory echoing White supremacists.

He latest apologised for the post after companies ceased their relationships with X.

There has been a tidal wave of online comments and coverage about his outburst since.

Was it a meltdown?

It is no secret that the advertising business is not exactly in a state of nirvana lately.

And I bet you some closet agency folk got their share of glee at Elon’s profanity, even though he has contributed to a surge in hate speech, misinformation and conspiracy theories on the platform.

Hey, I’m just saying….

At least I did not use the word “moron” on him.

Happy holidays, and let’s see what the New Year brings.

After 20 years of evolving technology, shifting market trends, and adapting to changing consumer behaviour, the media landscape has nearly reached saturation.

We’ve optimised to the fullest, providing advertisers with abundant choices across technology, platforms, data-driven marketing, CTV, OTT, DOOH, influencer marketing, retail, etc.

Media specialists have diversified, but with more options comes the challenge of maintaining income growth. The industry is expanding, but revenue isn’t keeping pace.

Now, we’re at a TURNING POINT: time to explore and harness new sustainable revenue streams. While GroupM forecasts a 7.8% global ad revenue growth in 2024, challenges like antitrust regulation, AI and copyright issues, and platform bans persist.  

Collaboration is key: partnerships that thrive on synergy, shared values, and aligned goals are becoming increasingly essential.

Hence, the Malaysian Media Conference, in its 20th year, has assembled the partners and players under one roof on October 25 for a day of learning, sharing, and exploring.

 

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