Elon Musk PR: The Good and the Bad
Let’s talk Elon Musk PR.
Love him or loathe him, there’s no denying that Elon Musk is one of the most successful entrepreneurs of his generation.
The visionary tech tycoon has built a multibillion-dollar fortune running companies that make electric cars, brain computers, tunnels, and rocket ships. And he’s disrupted multiple industries, won a ton of awards and bagged the top spot on Forbes’ rich list in the process.
But it hasn’t been plain sailing for Elon. The ‘outspoken’ billionaire regularly takes to social media to taunt competitors, tussle with politicians, and share his opinions on divisive topics such as trans rights and immigration.
And it hasn’t done him any favours. His outbursts have alienated consumers, antagonised investors, and landed him in hot water with regulators.
Yet, he’s amassed a ‘cult-like following’ who hang on to his every word. Rarely a week goes by without his name in the headlines.
So he must be doing something right. Want to know how ‘one of the most polarising figures in modern business’ has turned his brands into household names?
How has Elon Musk become one of the most successful entrepreneurs of his generation? Read my deep dive into Elon Musk’s PR strategy to find out.
Elon Musk PR
Given his penchant for provocation, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Musk lacks PR nous. After all, PR is about building good relationships with the public. But Elon knows that earned media matters. He just flouts all the rules in the PR playbook to get it. Like a true maverick.
Defying PR convention
Regarding mavericks, journalist Polly Labarre says, they’re ‘not satisfied with the status quo. They push boundaries and disrupt conventional wisdom with their unique perspectives and daring strategies.’
I’d say that describes Musk to a tee. And it’s reflected in his approach to public relations.
Let me share three ways Musk defies PR convention and the lessons you can take from them.
1. One-man PR team
Considering he’s one of the wealthiest men on the planet, you’d have thought Musk would have an army of PR pros to protect the reputation of his business empire.
On the contrary, he dissolved Tesla’s PR department in 2020. And he culled ‘all but one member’ of Twitter’s communications team in 2022.
Given that Elon equates PR with propaganda, his decision to take control of the narrative came as no surprise. But ironically, misinformation is exactly what he’s spread since going it alone. What’s more, he’s bungled his internal comms and sparked a ton of avoidable PR crises.
PR Takeaway
If Musk had sought my advice, I’d have told him the same thing I’m telling you. A skilled PR pro isn’t a luxury: it’s critical to the success of your business. For good reason.
Contrary to popular belief, PR isn’t easy. As a seasoned PR pro, I can tell you it takes years of training and experience to develop the skills to communicate effectively. Let alone manage stakeholders, navigate PR crises, and build relationships with the media. And trust me, the smallest faux pas can trigger a PR crisis.
So don’t risk it. Hire a pro and get the job done properly.
Still think you can do your own PR? Read: 4 Common Mistakes of DIY Public Relations
2. At war with the media
As I tell all my clients, journalists decide what news gets published, so they’re vital in shaping public opinion.
That’s why it pays to nail your media relations. But maverick Musk has no interest in making friends with the media. As these scathing tweets show, he goes out of his way criticise and undermine them.
Ouch.
You may be wondering why Musk continues to dominate the headlines, despite his relentless attacks on the media. Journalist Dave Lee sums it up nicely in a Bloomberg article, ‘just about everything Musk says and does is newsworthy’.
Right. But while he may land tons of coverage, it’s not exactly glowing.
As per Forbes magazine, by testing the maxim that ‘all publicity is good publicity’, he gets four times more negative coverage than 49 other leading CEOs combined.
PR Takeaway
Mark my words. Media bashing is not a savvy way to make friends and influence people.
Sure, it may bag you some publicity. But none of it will be good.
And, considering the effect of negative news on reputation is three times greater than that of positive news, it’s a guaranteed way to damage your brand in the long run.
I’ll hazard a guess that you haven’t spent years building your business to have it crushed by a scathing press article. So, take my advice. Invest in your media relations and keep the journos on side.
Want to know how to befriend journalists? Read: Media Relations PR: How to Forge Positive Relationships.
3. Thrives on controversy
Most CEOs choose their words carefully, fearing the consequences of saying anything that could be deemed contentious.
And rightly so.
As I tell my clients, self-censorship is critical in the digital age, where corporate reputations can be ruined with a single tweet. But maverick Musk doesn’t give self-censorship a second thought.
Quite the opposite. He tweets at will and revels in controversy. This is evident from the fact he dismissed COVID-19 fears as ‘dumb’, compared Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau to Hitler, and likened US President Joe Biden to a ‘damp sock puppet in human form’.
And as the entrepreneur knows, it’ll get people talking.
As Andrew Hutchison points out in a Social Media Today article, ‘it pays to be the one who says the things that get most people talking, because that expanded discussion is generally all you need to occupy the public consciousness.’
I think we can agree that Musk has nailed that. But inciting controversy to garner attention is a high-stakes game. And it cost Musk dearly in 2023.
‘You have said the actual truth’
In November 2023, @breakingbaht posted this antisemitic tweet on X.
Minutes later, Musk responded with this. You have said the actual truth.
The fallout
Elon has spouted some shocking stuff over the years. But an antisemitic conspiracy theory crossed the line. And the fallout was ugly.
Not only did swathes of fans, journalists, and anti-hate organisations lambast the Tesla CEO for his ‘dangerous’ behaviour, a ton of major brands suspended their advertising on X, leaving the platform’s fate in limbo.
And this prompted Tesla investors to urge the Board to suspend or remove the ‘erratic’ CEO.
To make matters worse, the White House weighed in on the furore, denouncing Musk’s ‘abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate’ in a statement.
PR Takeaway
For the most part, Musk’s extreme form of controversial marketing has paid off. After all, his barbed comments evoke emotion, spark debate, and get his name in the headlines.
But I suggest you think twice before adopting his approach. After all, there’s a fine line between provocative and perilous. And Musk’s antisemitic gaffe has shown that crossing it is a surefire way to lose customer trust, investor confidence, and your hard-earned reputation. Not to mention a shed load of profit.
And that’s not the only reason to avoid Musk’s unorthodox strategy.
As PR pro Phoebe Netto said ‘as the world’s richest man and CEO of a platform with almost 400 million users, Musk has enough power and money to dodge the pitfalls of a bad reputation.’
She’s bang on.
Your best bet is to play it safe and find a less inflammatory way to get your name in the papers.
Elon Musk: PR done right
So far, my deep dive into Elon Musk public relations has been a cautionary tale.
But the Tesla CEO gets a lot of things right. So let me redress the balance by highlighting a couple of ways that Musk excels at PR.
1. Social media mastery
Most CEOs take a hands-off approach to social media, opting instead to offload their digital PR to PR pros like me or their social media team.
But Musk is no ordinary CEO.
He uses his outsized presence on X to promote new products, tease company announcements, and share his vision for his brands.
This direct line to consumers keeps his ventures firmly in the public eye. But it’s his engagement with fans that sets him apart.
He responds to queries, addresses concerns, and regularly solicits feedback from the X community.
And it not only keeps his audience engaged. As per this Pressfarm comment, it ‘fosters a sense of connection between Musk and his followers, creating an emotional bond that goes beyond the typical CEO-consumer relationship.’
It sure does. And as The Verge points out, his efforts have bagged Elon an ‘army of fans more suited to a pop star than a tech billionaire.’
2. Wacky PR stunts
Social media isn’t the only PR tactic that Musk nails. As he proved with the Musk-Zuckerberg cage fight, he knows how to pull off a killer PR stunt.
Zuckerpunch
The gloves were off in June 2023 when Musk challenged Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg to a cage match after he announced the launch of Threads, a text-based app designed to rival Twitter.
Zuckerberg’s response? A screenshot of Musk’s tweet with the caption ‘send me location’.
Social media frenzy
Unsurprisingly, the prospect of the two billionaires battling it out sent the internet into a frenzy.
Fans flooded Musk’s X account with witty comments, videos and memes. And before long, celebrities, MMA experts, and American politicians were weighing in on the proposed showdown.
Musk’s PR machine was in full swing.
Put your money where your mouth is
Things went quiet until August, when Musk returned to X to ramp up the buzz.
He said he’d agreed on an ‘epic’ Roman location with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (a claim that was later denied by Italy’s Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano). And in a savvy ploy to get eyeballs on his flailing social media platform, he adding that the bout would be live streamed on X.
But. As you can see from Zuckerberg’s response, Musk’s bluster was wearing thin.
As a result, Musk promptly cooled on the fight. He told his followers that he needed ‘surgery’ to fix a shoulder injury. And he’d need ‘a few months’ to recover. The fight was off. It was never on to be honest.
Publicity stunt?
Was Musk serious about going head-to-head with his social media rival? Probably not.
Considering Zuckerberg is a ‘blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu’ and Musk’s workout regime consists of ‘picking up my kids & throwing them in air’ I don’t blame him. But, to quote journalist Marina Hyde, ‘as a bleat for attention, a megarich-weirdo cage fight is hard to top’. It sure is. And it got the world talking. As Elon knew it would.
PR Takeaway
PR stunts are designed to grab public attention and generate media coverage. Considering Elon’s gimmick went viral and garnered headlines around the world, he nailed the brief.
What’s more, as the whole thing played out on social media, it didn’t cost him a penny. A prime example of a PR stunt done right; here are my top three PR takeaways to help you emulate his success.
1. Think outside the box
PR stunts don’t have to cost the earth.
But, to capture the imagination of the public and media, they need to stand out. You may not be able to pull off a clash of the tech titans, but there are plenty of other ways to make a splash.
So, be bold, creative and think outside the box. Take it from a PR pro: playing it safe will grab the attention of no-one.
2. Engage your audience
Once you’ve reeled people in, you need to keep them engaged.
Musk nailed this by interacting with fans, sharing regular updates, and posting a ton of good-natured trash talk. As a result, fans were fired up for the duration of the campaign. And Musk bagged himself a ton of valuable earned media.
I’d call that a PR win.
3. Tie it to your brand
Elon is a cocksure maverick. So, the wacky stunt, and the arrogant boasts he made to promote it, fit perfectly with his brand identity.
And it raises a key point. You may come up with a crowd-pleasing stunt that generates a ton of buzz, tweets, and column inches. But if consumers don’t associate it with your brand, what’s the point? A PR stunt is a prime opportunity to boost brand recognition and recall.
So, whether you’re planning to launch a car into space, jump on a trending news story, or stage a selfie with a ton of A-list celebs, make sure your stunt reflects the way you want consumers to view your brand.
Final word on Elon Musk PR
From his war against the media to his baseless attacks on world leaders, Musk conducts himself in a manner that would ordinarily sink a company’s reputation.
But his antics only increase his infamy. He’s an interesting case, which goes against everything I know about maintaining a positive business reputation. But it clearly works. And considering his businesses operate at the forefront of developing technology, his disruptive approach to PR makes sense.
However, Elon’s strategy is fraught with risk. And his wealth affords him a level of immunity to consequences.
So, unless you have millions in the bank, and a thick skin to criticism, leave the provocation to Musk and bet on a traditional public relations strategy.
Trust me, it’s the strongest currency you have to build a respected and successful brand.
