Bye Bye Birdie: What Rebranding Twitter Means for Brand Equity

Let’s talk about Elon Musk’s rebrand of Twitter to “X”. It was for sure a very bold move considering how iconic and instantly recognizable the little blue bird was. Completely getting rid of not only the name but globally known logo? Risky.

From a consumer-based brand equity point of view, this change ditches years of emotional and associative value. Twitter wasn’t just a logo, it was part of a cultural language. That equity doesn’t transfer just because the app’s name and icon changes.

If we look at brand value in mergers/acquisitions, this could hurt more than help. Strong brands bring leverage, loyalty, and awareness. Something Twitter spent years building.

So what do we think? Has “X” built its own brand equity? Maybe, but at the time the change seemed more like an impulsive move than a strategic one.