Written by Julien Ricciarelli-Bonnal

26 May 2026

More and more brands are quietly moving away from X

When Elon Musk acquired Twitter and transformed it into X, many companies initially reacted with caution. Some brands chose to wait before changing their strategy, while others maintained their advertising investments as they monitored how the platform would evolve.

But over the past months, a growing trend has become increasingly visible: many companies are progressively distancing themselves from X, often without official announcements or public statements. Some are reducing their activity, others are significantly cutting advertising budgets, while several brands have simply stopped investing the same level of attention and energy into the platform.

Behind this evolution lies a subject that has become central for many marketing departments: brand image risk.

A platform perceived as increasingly unstable

For years, Twitter occupied a very specific place within the digital ecosystem. The platform allowed brands to react instantly to news, interact with journalists, build visibility and participate in public conversations in real time.

But since its transformation into X, the environment perceived by companies has become far more unstable. Frequent rule changes, unpredictable decisions, recurring controversies, conflict-heavy conversations and constant shifts in platform dynamics have made it increasingly difficult for communication teams to clearly anticipate the platform’s trajectory.

The issue is not only political or ideological. It is also strategic. Companies do not choose social media platforms solely for their audience. They also choose the environments with which their brand image will be associated.

Advertising concerns are becoming more sensitive

This evolution is especially visible in advertising strategies. Several major international companies have already reduced or suspended part of their advertising activity on X over recent months.

In some cases, brands simply fear seeing their content displayed next to controversial or toxic publications that could damage their public image. In others, the concern is more related to the platform’s instability itself and the growing difficulty of measuring return on investment in an environment that constantly changes.

For many advertisers, the question is no longer only: “How much visibility can we obtain on X?”
It is increasingly becoming: “Is this visibility still beneficial for our brand image?”

Some companies remain… but more carefully

This obviously does not mean that every company is abandoning the platform. Some brands still see real value in X, especially in industries closely connected to media, technology, politics or real-time communication.

But even among companies that remain active, many are now adopting a more cautious posture. Less aggressive communication, fewer sensitive public positions and reduced exposure seem to reflect a growing desire to remain present without becoming too associated with the platform itself.

This strategy reveals a broader reality: companies increasingly want to control the digital environments in which their image evolves.

The issue goes far beyond X itself

Ultimately, this evolution probably goes beyond the case of X alone. It reflects a larger transformation in the relationship between brands and digital platforms.

For years, the dominant logic was simple: be present everywhere in order to maximize visibility and audience reach. Today, some companies appear to understand that digital presence only creates value if it remains compatible with their overall positioning, public perception and long-term communication strategy.

In this context, areas such as Marketing Expertise and Strategic & Commercial Interventions are becoming increasingly connected to strategic arbitration questions: where to communicate, how to communicate and, above all, in which digital environments a brand truly wants to exist.

A trend that may continue

The long-term future of X remains difficult to predict. The platform still maintains a significant audience, strong media power and a unique ability to generate viral conversations in real time.

But the growing discomfort visible among advertisers and brands suggests that digital environments themselves are becoming just as important as visibility metrics.

And in a context where companies pay increasing attention to reputation, perception and brand stability, some platforms may gradually become less attractive not because of their audience… but because of what they represent.