Former NBCU ad exec Linda Yaccarino may have had a brief stint at X, but her influence on the social network’s advertising landscape was undeniable. According to new data from ad intelligence firm Guideline, Yaccarino leaves X in a stronger position with advertisers than when she arrived.
“Yaccarino will be leaving X in a better position with its advertisers than she found it,”
Guideline reports, highlighting a significant 62% year-over-year increase in ad spending in the U.S. during the first half of 2025. Moreover, Yaccarino previously stated that an impressive 96% of X’s advertisers had returned by May 2025.
Upon joining X in June 2023 after an illustrious career at NBCUniversal, where she served as chairman of global advertising and partnerships, Yaccarino faced a daunting task. Formerly known as Twitter, the platform was struggling with an advertising downturn triggered by Elon Musk’s acquisition in October 2022.
With Musk’s takeover came drastic cuts to ad spend and staff reductions across various departments, leading to a proliferation of misinformation and hate speech. As a result, advertisers began pulling out en masse. Guideline revealed that between Q3 2022 and Q3 2024, nearly 89% of Twitter/X’s U.S. ad revenue eroded.
Despite initial setbacks under Musk’s ownership and subsequent challenges during her tenure at X, Yaccarino made significant strides towards stabilizing the platform’s advertising business. In August 2023, she claimed that X’s operational run rate was approaching “break even,
” indicating signs of recovery.
However, just as progress seemed within reach, another crisis loomed on the horizon. In November 2023, prominent brands like Apple, Disney, and IBM paused their ad spending on X following Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic post — sparking yet another wave of turmoil for the platform.
Musk’s confrontational approach towards departing advertisers added further complexity to the situation. His explicit directive for them to “go f— yourself” led to legal action against companies engaging in what he deemed an “
illegal boycott.” The ensuing lawsuit sent shockwaves through the advertising industry and prompted some firms to resume their campaigns on X after facing legal threats.
As controversies mounted around brand safety and content moderation on the platform, X took proactive steps under Yaccarino’s leadership to enhance transparency and control for advertisers. Collaborations with adtech companies like DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science (IAS) allowed brands to monitor ad placements more effectively amid growing concerns about inappropriate content adjacency.
Despite these efforts toward brand safety enhancement initiatives introducing tools for adjusting sensitivity levels around content placement – questions persist about its effectiveness given recent incidents involving AI bot Grok which went offline due to antisemitic outbursts.
Yaccarino now exits against this backdrop; while her departure was reportedly decided before recent events unfolded involving Grok – leaving behind a legacy marked by both triumphs over adversities encountered throughout her time leading ads at ‘X.’
