The results of the research add to a tough week for Elon Musk
SAN FRANCISCO – December 15, 2022 – Bospar, the “politely pushy” PR firm that puts tech companies on the map, announced the results of a new consumer survey, this time taking a look at American attitudes and opinions of Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter.
The survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and up, conducted online by Propeller Insights on behalf of Bospar, found that American concerns about Elon’s leadership are growing, with 66% of Americans saying that his takeover of Twitter was not good for users of Twitter.
While 69% of users say they have not left the platform yet due to the company’s new leadership, 31% say they have already left or are thinking about it. Republicans were more likely than Democrats to see the takeover as good (44% versus 36%). Some 67% of Americans say they would not want Musk to be their boss, 80% do not want to buy products from a company whose boss treats their employees poorly, 58% think it was a mistake for Elon Musk to fire his Twitter PR team, and 78% say that no one should ever be fired by tweet.
“That’s not a trend advertisers will want to see,” said Tom Carpenter, a principal at Bospar. “Concern for the future of the platform is real, and that’s why we will continue to take a pulse on this into and throughout 2023, as individuals and brands decide how they want to react to the ongoing change at our ‘common digital town square.’”
Depending on your perspective, Musk’s “hilarious” joke bringing a sink into the office on day one hit differently. One-third (33%) thought it was sarcastic; 29%, egotistical; and 23 %, simply honest. Other respondents were concerned about his stewardship of Tesla, with 35% of Americans saying they were either not interested in buying a Tesla vehicle (17%) or 18% even saying they would rather have a root canal.
Almost three-fourths (70%) of Americans cited reasons why Twitter is either dead or dying, with the top reasons being it has turned too political (30%), Elon Musk (29%), and selective censorship (19%) being the top reasons.
“While it may be too soon to write Twitter’s epitaph, the survey shows Americans are reporting an increase in censorship on the platform,” Carpenter added. “This perception, whether it’s true or not, can create a crisis of confidence and credibility in what a lot of Americans increasingly consider to be news.”
Additional Insights
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Brands should press the pause button on Twitter
The PRWeek, 11.3.2022: Curtis Sparrer, Bospar
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Methodology
A national online survey of 1,008 general consumers was conducted by Propeller Insights between December 7 and December 13, 2022. Respondents opted into an online database; from there, they were targeted based on demographics. To further confirm qualifications, respondents were asked to verify their information in the survey itself, self-identifying qualifications. The maximum margin of sampling error was +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
About Propeller Insights
Propeller Insights is a full-service market research firm based in Los Angeles. Using quantitative and qualitative methodologies to measure and analyze marketplace and consumer opinions, they work extensively across industries such as travel, brand intelligence, entertainment/media, retail, and consumer packaged goods.
About Bospar
Bospar is the award-winning “politely pushy” tech public relations agency. The firm provides clients with national support thanks to its distributed agency model, which it launched in 2015. Bospar’s staff includes marketing and PR experts and veteran journalists from top-tier tech and business media. The agency’s strategic and creative thinkers excel in earned and social media, analyst and investor relations, and public affairs. Leaders from brands including Marqeta, Snowflake and Unisys trust Bospar to drive category leadership for disruptive technologies and solutions. Visit www.bospar.com, Twitter and LinkedIn.
