When Anne Marie Squeo got her red Tesla sports utility vehicle in 2020, she felt like she joined a club of people who were taking a stand for the environment and driving in a way that looked fancy or kind of upscale.
But then Tesla CEO Elon Musk started tweeting about crazy right-wing ideas, posted a picture of guns next to his bed, and made plans to end the conflict in Ukraine that was rejected by many important people in the country.
Anne Marie’s pride turned into shame.
Since Musk took over Twitter, he has been promoting conspiracy theories and trying to stop journalists and others from equally presenting their views. This has caused people to have much less positive feelings towards him or the Tesla brand.
Some people think that Elon Musk is now causing problems for Tesla. He has written a myriad of things on social media that have made some people not want to buy Tesla cars anymore.
People tend to think of owning Tesla cars as supporting Elon’s ideology that they do not necessarily want to convey. And now as there are other companies making electric cars too, they are bound to take away business from Tesla.
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Elon Musk & Twitter Tale
Manufacturers have been dreaming of the electric car for years, but it was not until Tesla arrived on the scene with its Roadster that these vehicles truly became desirable.
Its sleek and sexy design made this luxury model a must-have among those attempting to show their environmental awareness; particularly within Silicon Valley’s upper echelons.
Ultimately, where other automakers had failed in making electric cars appealing – Tesla succeeded with flying colors.
Tesla is a marketing success story, even more, astonishing because the company, to this day, doesn’t spend anything on advertising or PR strategies. Instead, rely heavily on its CEO Elon Musk. His magnetism and unique ability to navigate social media and generate buzz have proven a powerful sales tool. It wasn’t just an elegant, eco-friendly car that has drawn consumers and investors to Tesla — but Musk himself hailed the success.
Anne Marie Squeo Is Embarrassed With Her Tesla?
Founder of Proof Point Communications, Anne Marie Squeo, a former journalist from Connecticut, was embarrassed and felt bad when she drove her car around. “It was really difficult,” she said about her experience.
She gave a detailed interview to BBC news as she wondered if people were taking the wrong opinion of her while driving in her Tesla. An opinion that she never asked for and did not want!
When Anne Marie Squeo acquired her red Tesla sports utility vehicle in 2020, she felt like part of an exclusive club that was taking a stand for the environment and driving with unbeatable style.
Since then, it’s been one misstep after another – tweeting false statements about COVID-19, mistreating employees and reporters, disastrous financial decisions – all of which can have a serious impact on the company he founded.
So, while it’s not surprising that Anne Marie still loves her Tesla, she may have to accept the fact that Elon Musk is hurting the brand. And if this continues, she might have to find another EV or a new way to make a statement about protecting the environment and driving in style.
Anne Marie, who has been an avid voter for both Democratic and Republican parties in the past, expressed that prior controversies felt like isolated incidents; however, she was overwhelmed by all of the sermons last year.
“Elon Musk being a bit of a wild card is not new,” she says. While his daily posting of content already made him stand out, what’s most noteworthy is that he appears determined to provoke controversy by tackling social issues head-on.
Falling Tesla Stocks
Tesla’s stocks took a significant nosedive last year, dropping two-thirds of their value; the most drastic decline since going public in 2010. Investor fears were compounded by potential disruption to production, as well as apprehension around waning demand due to increased borrowing costs and a weakened global economy.
Many of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s long-time investors expressed their dismay, over his $44 billion (£ 36.4 billion) buy-out of Twitter in October causing a monumental amount of damage to the company’s reputation.
December last year, the fact that Mr. Musk sold an estimated $20 billion of Tesla shares caused a significant drop in stock value and was partially attributed to his Twitter purchase. This certainly didn’t help matters.
Ross Gerber, a Tesla investor who wants to be on the board of directors, says that shareholders have lost money because Tesla will not spend money on advertising. This is different from what any automobile company or marketing professional has done in the past. He wants Tesla to start using advertisements as part of their marketing strategy.
However, Mr. Gerber believes that the company must have a dedicated chief executive and create its own unique statement apart from Musk. He said that it’s tough to accept that Elon is still a positive advertising force for Tesla.
What implications will this have on Tesla’s financials? That is something to observe.
During the year 2022, Tesla delivered 1.3 million vehicles – a 40 percent increase from 2021. This could potentially be problematic in the future if many Biden supporters and core consumers of Teslas begin to distance themselves away from the brand name.
People are upset and angry, not just Tesla customers but investors as well. People are worried that Elon Musk is spending more time on Twitter than he is at Tesla. There is a huge lawsuit going on where Tesla and Musk could be forced to pay billions of dollars to their investors if they lose.
How Elon Is Causing The Downfall?
Elon Musk is one of the people who helped make Tesla successful, but now he is causing problems with his tweets about politics. This is making some people not want to buy Tesla cars anymore, at a time when other companies are starting to make electric cars that compete with Tesla.
Mr. Musk, the Twitter sensation with 127 million followers, dismissed criticism that his unguarded presence on social media was damaging Tesla’s brand; claiming “the numbers speak for themselves”.
However, as speculation over buyer demand heightened recently, Tesla implemented major cost reductions in America, Europe, and China – ranging up to 20% on some US models.
After Musk took Twitter control, he quickly lifted the ban on former US President Donald Trump and tweeted out “My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci,” which is a reference to Dr. Anthony Fauci. This made a lot of people who are usually liberal very angry. These people usually buy Tesla’s electric cars in America.
Despite the fact that Tesla is the most sought-after electric car brand in America, its supremacy is quickly slipping. Automobile giants such as Chevy and BMW have designed affordable but advanced models of electric cars. There are more “better” options free from political whiff.
What To Expect In The Future?
Numerous analysts predict that the Tesla price cuts will help to mitigate some of the harm done, for financial interests are more compelling than customers’ ethical concerns.
Nevertheless, the move will have a negative influence on the company’s profits, and some vehicle buyers may not be able to return. Indie Grant, employed in New Zealand’s insurance industry, declined to get a Tesla because of Elon Musk’s views when shopping for an electric car last year; he instead chose to go with a Peugeot.
According to the 35-year-old, when someone buys a Tesla it is essentially like passively but frequently broadcasting ‘I think Elon Musk and his work are outstanding.’
With how much he has become associated with the company with his tweets and social media engagements, buying a Tesla feels like you’re expressing your profound admiration for him, according to Grant.
There is nothing that could currently convince Grant to purchase a Tesla, as he believes his perception of the company would only shift if Elon was no longer related to Tesla company.
With his vision of overcoming the major issues confronting humankind, including promoting renewable energies and establishing a space-faring society with SpaceX, he successfully sold this thought to many people.
People thought that Elon Musk’s ideas were good. He wants to use solar power and have people live in space stations. But lately, people have not been thinking as highly of him.
However, in recent months there has been an obvious transformation in how those outside this bubble perceive him eventually impacting Tesla’s prospects significantly.
This could make it harder for his company, Tesla, to be successful in the future.
Bottomline
The billionaire who purchased Twitter last year has become a more vocal presence on the platform. Many find his public statements to be polarizing, resulting in strong opinions from users across the board. He recently showed support for Republican voting, reinstated former President Donald Trump’s account, and welcomed Kanye West back after he posted antisemitic content.
All of which made headlines throughout social media networks.
West was later booted from the site again for tweeting a swastika but that’s not the point. Point is that in the name of free speech, he also overhauled Twitter’s content moderation standards. A move that researchers say has led to the rapid rise in hate speech and misinformation on the platform!
Experts have often characterized Elon Musk’s preoccupation with Twitter as a “distraction,” and he has been criticized for his extraordinary time commitment to the struggling social media platform since becoming its CEO.
At the end of the day, it is up to customers to decide whether or not they want to forgive Elon Musk and keep buying Tesla cars. After all, it is impossible to ignore the fact that he has made Tesla into a successful and innovative company.
But one thing’s for sure – Elon Musk’s social media posts surely have the potential to hurt Tesla’s reputation and sales!
Every other tech stock is down you idiots , not just Tesla.
I used to like Elon Musk, but now all he does is lie and promote polluting cryptocurrency.
If you’re buying a car (or any product) based on whether you like the owner or management you’re a fool. Most are probably dubious in one way or another. Buy or use the product if it’s a good quality item. I also imagine it’s his purchase of Twitter that really set her off, even after off it was found the company is a pile of lying garbage that was really censoring and blacklisting conservatives. That seems to be drawing silence from the left.