MEDIA LANDSCAPE

More marketers are reducing X advertising spending than ever before

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2024

Kantar report finds TikTok is again the most innovative advertising publisher, while YouTube is the most trusted platform.

Marketer confidence in X (formerly Twitter) declined significantly in the past year, driven by brand safety concerns and poor perceptions around innovation and trust.

The findings are included in Kantar’s ‘Media Reactions 2024’ report, an annual study exploring the evolving media landscape. The research team also reports that YouTube remains the ad platform marketers most prefer. For consumers, Amazon and TikTok share the top spot.

For the 2024 insights, Kantar conducted interviews with around 18,000 consumers in 27 markets, and 1,000 senior marketers globally,

The report’s findings reveal that 26% of marketers have reported plans to reduce advertising spending on X in 2025, the biggest recorded pullback from any major global ad platform.

Elon Musk’s X will endure more advertising woes. Photo: Prime Minister’s Office, Government of India

Marketers’ trust in adverts on X, already historically low, has decreased further under Elon Musk’s leadership – from 22% in 2022 to 12% in 2024.

X is falling far short on brand safety

Only 4% of marketers think adverts on X provide brand safety. This contrasts with Google, which is in top spot for brand safety at 39%.

X scores outside of the global top 10 for trust and for the perception of how innovative advertising on the platform is. This contrasts with TikTok, the most innovative advertising publisher for the fifth consecutive year, and YouTube, the most trusted.

“Advertisers have been moving their marketing spend away from X for several years. The stark acceleration of this trend in the past 12 months means a turnaround currently seems unlikely,” says Gonca Bubani, Global Thought Leadership Director – Media at Kantar.

“Marketers are brand custodians and need to trust the platforms they use. X has changed so much in recent years and can be unpredictable from one day to the next – it’s difficult to feel confident about your brand safety in that environment.

“Ironically, decreasing spend by marketers on X will make consumers happier with the platform as they come face to face with fewer ads.”

You can find out more about the report here.

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