Has Twitter/X had a big fail with its rebrand?
Has Twitter had a big fail with its rebrand? And what are the marketing ideas that can apply to your business?
In case you missed the news, Elon Musk recently tweeted that the iconic blue bird twitter icon was being rebranded to a logo with the letter X, the name Twitter is now X, and tweets are now called Xs.
DID MUSK MAKE A WRONG MOVE?
Marketing experts have gone crazy about it, and many people are criticizing Elon Musk and saying he’s going to fail. I don’t want to comment on that - it seems that Musk is pretty good at business - but I am interested in some of the lessons from the Twitter rebrand.
BRAND EQUITY IS IMPORTANT
Firstly, when it comes to your business, Brand equity is important. The company formerly known as Twitter wanted to change, which is fair enough because it’s their company, but the name and logo held a lot of value and recognition. People were used to it, and many have great associations with it, especially since Musk purchased it. If you are thinking about rebranding your company, it’s worth considering the way that customers relate to your company name, logo, and website, and how you present yourself as an organization.
As a side note, in case you didn’t know, on May 4 2020, Elon Musk also had a son called X. In case you’re looking for baby names.
TWITTER VIDEO vs X VIDEO
Next, the name. It’s really important. If you go to google and search “Twitter video”, you’ll find videos from Twitter. If you search “X video”, you find slightly more fruity content. X-rated videos. So if you are choosing a name for a new business, it’s worth thinking through possible innuendos, word associations, potential backfires, and the easiest way to do this is to get a variety of feedback before you launch or relaunch.
MUSK KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING…
Let’s assume for a second that this is not actually a rebrand fail. Elon Musk apparently has a bigger plan - which makes sense - and that is to create an all-inclusive app along the lines of China’s WeChat app which includes instant messaging, social media, mobile payments and more. And this plan may go back to when he was the CEO of Paypal in the year 2000.
KEY TAKEAWAY - Take risks. It isn’t always going to work. Do something creative. Besides, according to a poll run by Civic Science, the majority of people who didn’t like the rebrand aren’t even twitter users, and even 60% of people who have tried Instagram Threads also are also interested in Twitter X.
So, like Elon Musk, one thing any business owner can do is to think big, and pursue a big vision.
Photo credit - Anjali Nair / MSNBC; Getty Images.
If you’re looking for help with your marketing, you can get in touch with my team at Freedthinking.com. And please, like and subscribe. I’m Marcus Freed, stay creative.
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