In addition to the media boom, experts project that the billionaire will drive free speech discussions on the platform.
The market woke up on Monday (4) with the news that Elon Musk, founder of Space X and Tesla, was the newest shareholder of Twitter, after the acquisition of 9.2% of the shares. The news gained a continuation, with the entry of the executive to the company’s board.
A frequent user of the microtext platform, Musk is also known for criticizing the network’s guidelines. He recently took a poll to find out what users thought of the freedom of expression policy and even considered creating his own social network.
Now, in the role of the largest single shareholder and board member, various scenarios have been designed. The platform warned, however, that the operation is carried out by the board and its employees, not by the board, which is responsible for “advice and feedback throughout our service”, the spokesperson told The Verge.
If this is the company’s position, the market is already working with other horizons. The expectation is that the executive will “shake up” the company, according to Arthur Igreja, a specialist in Technology and Innovation and a guest professor at FGV and TEDx speaker.
He believes that the arrival of Musk can represent a gain in audience and media presence for Twitter, which will also be able to count on the know-how of an executive involved in several projects. “He can influence the company’s strategic direction because he has the majority of votes and seats,” he says.
Alê Alves, CEO of the CL agency, also follows the same line and says that being able to contribute to the realization of significant changes must be part of the agreement. “On the other hand, who wouldn’t want him as a partner, bringing the business vision and speed of action he has? I believe he already arrived with the plan drawn up and put it on the table to buy”, he says.
Among digital companies, represented by Abradi (Brazilian Association of Digital Agents), the understanding is that Musk’s initiative can represent more attention to the market. “It’s very good for the market to see a billionaire like Elon Musk investing in social media. For those in the digital advertising area, this is a strengthening of the industry”, says Carolina Morales, president of the entity.
Carlos Pereira Lopes Filho, CTO and managing partner of technology at Raccoon.Monks, also believes that he should use all his repertoire and power of influence to make the changes he deems necessary.
“Elon Musk has been criticizing the lack of “free speech” on Twitter for a while. Despite being a controversial and contradictory topic, I believe he should bring this point to the spotlight in the coming weeks”, he analyzes.
He recalls that the executive has barely arrived and has already asked users about the idea of implementing the “Edit Button”, an old request from users of the platform. Shortly after, Twitter announced that it will launch the feature on “Twitter Blue Labs”, the platform’s premium subscription service, as a form of testing.
This user “vision” of Musk, also cultivated from his interactions, can help convince the platform to adopt new tools and features, according to professor Tiago Souza, from the Advertising and Propaganda course at Belas Artes.
“Which is beneficial for the company, because users will be more willing to be in the media with these improvements. And deep down, the more willing and better the media is, the longer you stay inside it. And the longer it stays in the media, the more money it makes, because that user share of time makes them see and click on more ads.”
In the conception of Weverton Guedes, director of innovation and business at REF+, Musk’s quest to influence the network, prioritizing freedom of expression, is a path towards an open source algorithm culture, where the community has more power of influence in relation to what is published. A strategy that, according to the professional, can bring challenges not only for the company but also for the advertising market.
“With this democratization in the way the platform deals in favor of greater freedom of expression, some impacts such as the reduction in the volume of advertising available on the platform can also happen”, he explains.
For him, this change would affect Twitter’s business model, and Musk would have to help find ways to keep the company in financial health, either by integrating services with its companies or using Twitter’s massive database to foster models. intelligence that can be used by other companies.
Billionaires in the media market
Among the specialists, there are also those who do not expect major changes, as is the case of João Finamor, professor of digital marketing at Prime MBA ESPM. “It’s something much more personal, pro-Elon Musk than actually something for the platform, which will bring big change and impact.”
He analyzes this move by the Tesla executive with an attitude that seeks to compete with another billionaire, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, who bought The Washington Post in 2018. The media market would become yet another environment for the famous rifts between the two. leaders, competitors in the space race.
Daniela Graicar, partner and co-CEO of PROS, analyzes that the movement of acquisition or participation of billionaires in communication vehicles and media channels has two sides. The positive, as a way of guaranteeing the existence of these means; and the negative, the power of information and opinion control.
“There are already people asking Musk to intervene in strange ways, like bringing back Trump’s account. So you have to ask: to what extent, as a shareholder and with the power he gains, will he be exempt and keep Twitter as a this open platform for the expression of thought, to complain and say what you think?”, he asks.
Karan Novas, partner and CCO of Tulom, recalls that Musk’s trajectory on Twitter is marked by controversies and movements with which he was able to “manipulate” his own businesses, competitors, the price of cryptocurrencies and even stock exchanges with a simple tweet. “Now, as an executive officially linked to the company, he starts to have a minimum level of commitment to his posture, especially before the other shareholders and the company’s reputation. This can make him more restrained”, he adds.
The next chapters – or tweets – should give more clarity and visibility about the strength and power of the billionaire’s performance on the platform.
