Balenciaga Leaves Twitter – Will Other Brands Follow Suit?

Luxury fashion brand Balenciaga has removed its Twitter account, the brand confirmed to Vogue on 14 November. The company has not yet publicly elaborated on its decision to leave, but the move comes at a turbulent time for the platform. The swift exit takes place weeks after Tesla founder Elon Musk purchased it for a reported $44 billion, and concerns grow over its direction.

Balenciaga is the latest in an exodus of major brands and users, including Whoopi Goldberg and Shonda Rhimes. Additionally, a rising number of major corporations and advertisers have paused activity and advertising on the platform since Musk took control of the company. 

On 28 October, General Motors publicly announced it would temporarily halt advertising on Twitter, while other companies, including United Airlines and Pfizer, have quietly paused advertising. Balenciaga’s Twitter ads will also be suspended. In a bid to calm advertisers’ fears, Musk held a Twitter Space last week and addressed their concerns, sharing his intentions to tackle fake accounts and hate speech on the app.

Balenciaga, which is owned by multinational conglomerate Kering, is the first fashion brand of its size and cachet to depart Twitter, prompting many to wonder if other brands will follow suit. It has always been a trendsetter.