Elon Musk plans to rebrand Twitter to ‘X’
Elon Musk has revealed plans for a major corporate rebranding at Twitter, which includes replacing the iconic bird logo with an "X". The move comes amid Twitter's struggles to attract advertising and increased competition from rivals.
In a tweet on Sunday, Musk announced the upcoming revamp, stating that Twitter will bid farewell to its current branding and gradually phase out all bird-related elements. He invited users to submit a suitable "X" logo, and if a good enough one is posted, it will be adopted worldwide the following day.
Since acquiring Twitter last year, Musk has already implemented significant changes, officially changing the company's name to X Corp in filings. He aims to transform Twitter into an "everything app" under the umbrella brand "X".
Twitter's new CEO, Linda Yaccarino, presented the vision for "X" during a meeting with top marketers in Napa, California, unveiling the company's plans to shift from a text-focused platform to one that integrates more audio, video, and payments features. Twitter also aims to attract advertisers and collaborate with broadcasters and payments groups.
During the meeting, Yaccarino also mentioned Twitter's intention to leverage artificial intelligence by partnering with Musk's AI company, xAI. Twitter data would be used to train AI models developed by xAI, with the potential to enhance Twitter's capabilities.
According to Yaccarino's tweet, "X is the future state of unlimited interactivity - centred in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking - creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities. Powered by AI, X will connect us all in ways we're just beginning to imagine."
Musk's acquisition of Twitter in October prompted significant changes, including workforce reductions and cost-cutting measures. However, policy changes and shifts in leadership style have led to user and advertiser frustration, with advertising revenues declining and the company facing financial challenges.
Competing with rivals like Meta, which released its Twitter competitor, Threads, Twitter has threatened to sue Meta, alleging the theft of trade secrets for its messaging app.
Musk's decision to rebrand Twitter marks another attempt to turn the company around. In May, he appointed Yaccarino as Twitter's CEO to win back major advertisers who had left the platform due to Musk's unconventional leadership and lenient content moderation.
While Musk claims advertisers are returning to Twitter, recent announcements and challenges have continued to affect user sentiment. Musk sparked backlash when he announced temporary limits on the number of posts users can view, and he stated that Twitter has not achieved positive cash flow despite previous expectations.
Twitter's light-blue bird logo, affectionately named "Larry T Bird" after former basketball player Larry Bird by co-founder Biz Stone, is the company's most recognizable asset, known and recognized by people worldwide.
