Elon Musk recently explained why he decided to rebrand Twitter to X, saying it wasn’t just a name change. Instead, this represents his plan to create “all apps”.
“Twitter was acquired by Company X to ensure free speech and to promote X, all apps. director Monday night.
“The name Twitter meant a lot when it was just a 140-character message coming and going like a chirping bird, but now you can post almost anything, including hours of video.In the coming months, we will add inclusive communication and the ability to command the entire financial world.In that context, the Twitter name makes no sense, so we have to say goodbye to the bird.”
Business analysts see this as a high-risk move that would undermine the long-standing branding behind Twitter’s blue bird. Musk’s site change has raised concerns that Twitter is not a safe marketing place for brands, and Twitter is already struggling to retain advertisers.
Musk recently hired former NBCUniversal head of advertising Linda Yaccarino as CEO, which is seen as an attempt to reassure advertisers. In a message to staff on Monday, Yaccarino said of the name change, “Our usage is at an all-time high and we will continue to delight our entire community with new experiences in audio, video, messaging, payments and banking, creating a global marketplace for ideas, products, services and opportunities.”
Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC.
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