2025 appears to be a challenging year for X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. A recent report by UK market research firm Kantar reveals that 26 percent of marketers are planning to reduce their advertising spend on X next year. This marks the greatest pullback recorded among major global advertising platforms.
For years, advertisers have been gradually shifting their marketing budgets away from X. However, this trend has accelerated significantly in the past 12 months, leading Kantar’s Global Thought Leadership Director, Gonca Bubani, to express doubt about the platform’s ability to make a turnaround. The report indicates that trust in X among marketers was already historically low even before Elon Musk acquired the company. Since the acquisition, trust in the platform has further eroded.
According to Kantar’s research, advertiser trust in X dropped from 22 percent in 2022 to a mere 12 percent in 2024. Bubani mentions that X has undergone significant changes in recent years and has become increasingly unpredictable, making it difficult for advertisers to feel confident about brand safety in that environment.
An alarming statistic from Kantar’s report is that only 4 percent of advertisers believe that advertising on X provides brand safety. When compared to other social media platforms, X ranks at the bottom in terms of brand safety. Google, on the other hand, is considered the most trustworthy platform with a 39 percent rating. In terms of innovative advertising, X falls outside of the global top ten, while TikTok is seen as the most innovative platform and YouTube is the most trusted.
The report provides a visual representation of these statistics, emphasizing the contrasting position of X compared to its competitors in the social media space. It is evident that X’s reputation has suffered significantly under Musk’s leadership, with multiple incidents drawing negative attention. One such incident occurred when Musk promoted a Tucker Carlson video on X that featured a guest expressing sympathies for Hitler. Musk’s comment, “Very interesting. Worth watching,” drew criticism, and he later removed the post.
Based on this information, it is unlikely that X will change its course under Musk’s leadership. The platform’s struggle to generate revenue, coupled with the mass advertiser exodus and ongoing controversies, paints a grim picture of its future prospects. The decline in advertiser trust and the lack of brand safety are significant challenges that X needs to address to regain its standing in the advertising industry.
As the landscape of social media platforms continues to evolve, it is crucial for companies like X to foster trust and transparency. The ability to provide a safe and reliable environment for advertisers is paramount in attracting and retaining marketers’ ad spend. Without addressing these concerns, X risks further alienating advertisers and losing its place as a major player in the advertising industry.
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