Linda Yaccarino: reviving the glory of “X” platform

What is it about?

In June 2023, Linda Yaccarino took over what could be the most challenging job in tech — chief executive of Twitter, now called X, a platform that had plunged into chaos after Elon Musk’s whirlwind $44 billion acquisition in October 2022. A veteran media executive with a formidable résumé at NBCUniversal, Yaccarino was brought in to steady the ship. The challenges facing Twitter (now X) were huge, all: Advertisers had been running for the hills, content moderation had become so lax as to be controversial, and Musk’s erratic leadership had made many potential users wary of the platform. By April 2023, American ad revenue had fallen 59 percent, and big brands like Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s had withdrawn their spending altogether. The company, which had traditionally depended on advertising for 91 percent of its revenue, was now in a financial free fall. With a reputation as a power broker in the ad industry, Yaccarino seemed an ideal choice to help speed a turnaround. She had built a $13 billion ad sales empire at NBCU — if anyone could ever tempt advertisers back it was her. But there was one big caveat: Musk was not stepping back. Though Yaccarino held the CEO title, Musk retained control of product, engineering and platform policies. Other bold comments, including comparing the billionaire donor George Soros to a supervillain, have made it even harder to restore advertisers’ trust. And that, the big question: Was Yaccarino actually in control, or just the front woman in Musk’s big idea? Can she mend advertiser relations and stabilize revenue? And, most important, was it even possible to save X from its downward spiral, or had she taken an impossible job? This case study asks students to examine the leadership challenges posed by a dangerous corporate environment, the complexities of executive power dynamics and the tactical moves to reposition a beleaguered brand as they are happening.

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