X, once recognized as Twitter, is deepening its engagement in the realm of programmatic advertising, and its latest ally in this venture is none other than tech behemoth, Google. Utilizing Google Ad Manager, X now facilitates the programmatic delivery of ads, exclusively focusing these on its home feed.
The strategic shift towards Google is notably an effort to reinvigorate the dwindling advertiser revenue, which observed a significant dip of 50% following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform. Farrell Sklerov, who is at the helm of ads policy communications at Google, conveyed the partnership’s essence, emphasizing that while it provides advertisers a more expansive reach, they retain the discretion to select the platforms their ads get showcased on. Google mandates adherence to its stringent publisher policies, ensuring an optimized user experience.
Earlier in the year, X also collaborated with the ad-tech entity InMobi. This marked a departure from X’s conventional operations, where it previously refrained from listing its inventory on open marketplaces and instead forged direct ties with advertisers.
Post Musk’s purchase, X witnessed a considerable exodus of advertisers, primarily stemming from apprehensions about content moderation and the platform’s brand safety measures. Musk’s response was to onboard Linda Yaccarino, previously spearheading ad sales at NBCUniversal. Entrusted with rejuvenating the platform’s rapport with advertisers, Yaccarino recently introduced key leadership roles, including Brett Weitz and Carrie Stimmel. Furthermore, Monique Pintarelli and Rob Hayes have been entrusted with pivotal roles to bolster sales and partnerships across multiple geographies.
X’s collaboration with Google signifies its earnest endeavors to rebuild and amplify its advertiser revenue streams. Amidst the challenges of changing leadership and evolving brand identity, this partnership might just be the catalyst X needs to regain its stronghold in the dynamic digital advertising landscape.
