Marketing Guru Slams Elon Musk’s ‘Doge’ Role: “Greatest Brand Destruction” for Tesla

Prominent US marketing professor Scott Galloway has delivered a scathing assessment of Elon Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration’s “Doge” department, calling his actions “one of the greatest brand destructions” ever for Tesla. Speaking on the Pivot podcast, Galloway argued that Musk’s leadership in implementing severe job and spending cuts within the federal government, on behalf of the Trump administration, has severely alienated Tesla’s core customer base.
Galloway highlighted polling data showing Tesla plummeting from the 8th most reputable brand in 2021 to a shocking 95th place. He pointed out the irony that Musk has “cozied up to the people who aren’t interested in EVs,” citing that three-quarters of Republicans would never consider buying an electric vehicle. Evidence of this alienation is seen in sharp declines in Tesla sales across Europe, with drops ranging from 33% in Portugal to a staggering 81% in Sweden. Musk’s recent political meddling in European affairs, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), is also cited as a factor that has put off a lucrative EV market, allowing Chinese competitor BYD to outsell Tesla in Europe for the first time in April. Facing a 71% dip in profits, Musk recently announced he would be scaling back his “Doge” responsibilities, claiming his work getting the government’s “financial house in order is mostly done.”