Twitter, already grappling with executive departures and advertiser retention challenges, experienced yet another setback as A.J. Brown, the executive overseeing Twitter's brand safety and ad quality, decided to leave the company, according to The Wall Street Journal. Brown's role involved ensuring a safe environment for advertisers on the platform, but no official reason for her departure has been provided at this time.
The company has faced difficulties in retaining advertisers since Elon Musk assumed control. Over 500 of Twitter's top advertisers reportedly halted their spending on the platform earlier this year. Musk, the owner of Twitter, expressed his intent for the company to break even within the year.
Concerns about the future of the platform extend beyond advertisers, as some brands and users have chosen to abandon Twitter due to apprehensions about Musk's approach to content moderation.
This departure presents incoming CEO Linda Yaccarino with a challenging situation. Yaccarino, previously responsible for ad sales at NBCUniversal, has emphasized the importance of brand safety to advertisers in the past. Given that advertising constitutes Twitter's primary revenue stream, her handling of this situation will be closely watched.
Since Musk's takeover, Twitter has been struggling to navigate its path forward. The company reportedly downsized its workforce significantly, terminated support for third-party apps, and introduced hefty charges for API usage. Moreover, Twitter has attempted to entice users to pay a steep $8 monthly fee for a "premium" experience on the platform.
