Tesla‘s image has deteriorated under the effect of the multiple controversies triggered by Elon Musk following his takeover of the social network. The action has lost 60% since the start of the year, and investors are defending a refocusing on the automaker.
A few years ago, it suddenly became inappropriate to spend a stay in one of the Trump residences, as the President of the United States was such a foil. Tomorrow, will we be able to parade around in a Tesla, as do the wealthy Democratic geeks of Silicon Valley, or will his association with his boss, Elon Musk, 51, have become a foil?
If customers are loyal for the moment, Tesla’s image is deteriorating sharply. According to a Yougov survey, brand perception turned negative overall in November. It becomes partisan. According to Morningconsult, Republicans and Democrats had a very favorable image of Tesla in January: positive opinions exceeded negative opinions by 31 points. This rate crumbled to 26.5 points for the Republicans and, above all, collapsed to 10.4 for the Democrats. In question, the behavior of Elon Musk since he took control of Twitter.
The new owner does not act as a neutral manager of the platform. He doesn’t even have the attitude of a traditional media boss, pushing his political agenda but remaining cautiously in the background. He multiplies political outings in all directions, against the “woke” culture, against Joe Biden, against the American central bank, against the anti-Covid-19 policy.
Latest, the suspension of accounts of journalists from major media, accused of indirectly giving his position in real time and threatening his safety and that of his family. The Washington Post believes that Mr. Musk “provided no evidence that any of the reporters did so” . Le Monde was unable to examine the content of the accounts concerned, as they were suspended. The interested party defended himself, Friday, December 16 morning, in the face of the outcry: “If someone published in real time the locations and addresses of the journalists of the New York Times , the FBI would investigate, there would be hearings in Congress and Biden would pronounce speeches on the end of democracy! »Nevertheless, these positions are ruining the reputation of Twitter and its advertising revenue, without anyone knowing where this fight will lead the billionaire.
