McDonald's And Starbucks Have Gone Silent On Twitter Since Elon Musk's Arrival
It's no secret that brands were not exactly thrilled about Elon Musk's Twitter takeover. Since Musk's deal went through in October of 2022, Twitter has been making headlines left, right, and center. The New York Times reports that the app also considered selling usernames for an uptick in revenue. According to Forbes, several brands refused to advertise on the social media platform after its new owner came into play, including Apple, Balenciaga, and Chipotle.
Twitter users are now starting to take notice of the silence of several other food brands after Musk's sudden takeover of Twitter. TheStreet noticed that McDonald's and Starbucks were being unusually absent from the app in mid-November. McDonald's last tweet was a funny meme posted on November 17, and the fast food chain hasn't said a word since. Similarly, Starbucks last promoted a festive lighting ceremony with Alicia Keys on the social media platform, but has not tweeted after November 18. The question is, why?
The food brands are still posting on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok
McDonald's and Starbucks' lack of Twitter activity is not common practice for the brands as their usual marketing tactics rely heavily on the platform. Earlier in 2022, McDonald's tweeted a comedic restaurant sign that went viral, while Starbucks' main character tweet had customers in a frenzy last October. While the food brands are forgoing their Twitter duties, both are still taking to Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for their advertising ploys.
McDonald's posted on Instagram just yesterday discussing its discontinued onion nuggets. Starbucks also posted a "coffee break pep talk" on its official Facebook account four days ago. TheStreet reached out to both companies for a comment regarding their silence on Twitter, but neither has responded yet. Though it's pretty clear that their social media managers halted promotion for a reason, and that reason is likely Elon Musk. Who, by the way, just broke the world record for the worst loss of personal fortune in history (via Guinness World Records).