The new journey for Yahoo

A year ago, we started an initiative to redefine what Yahoo stands for. To be frank, we had to remove the question mark from the Yahoo brand—and define what we wanted to amplify—to reclaim our iconic exclamation mark. We listened to thousands of consumers. We debated and challenged ourselves and teams across the entire company and around the world. Our goal? To define an authentic brand promise + product positioning that truly walks the talk.

What did we hear? People told us they feel inundated with content. Overwhelmed with too much stuff they don’t care about. They’re hungry for a simpler experience. One that’s personalized to their interests. One that gives them more control. Yahoo can solve this. It’s in our DNA. We create personalized experiences across Mail, News, Sports, Finance, Entertainment. So whatever they’re into, they can get more of it—with Yahoo.

Today, we took a first, major step on this journey with the launch of the new Yahoo Mail app. It redefines how people use their inboxes. In an era of Internet and inbox overload, email has drastically shifted with people creating multiple accounts for different purposes as they sort endless content, receive daily promotional deals, and need a way to manage the mass volumes of messages. The new Yahoo Mail app offers the perfect solution by organizing the clutter, empowering people to personalize and control their inboxes and focus on what matters most to them. 

Today, we also launched a new Yahoo brand identity across over 70 products in 40 countries. It’s the result of an incredible collaboration with Michael Bierut at Pentagram, Diego Scotti and his team at Verizon, our Verizon Media leadership team, and our creative, marketing, research, design, editorial, and engineering teams at Verizon Media. Truly a collaborative effort with an uncompromising outcome.

The new identity modernizes an iconic brand for a global audience. It’s simpler. It’s flexible. It’s mobile first and works at any scale, big or small.  If our users want to watch our content on TV or on their phone, either way it’s a good experience for them. And it works next to any kind of content: A serious news story, a stock tip, a sports highlight, celebrity news, and even a coupon in your inbox or a sales presentation.

The new logo is designed with twin engines—the slant in the y matches the slant in the exclamation point. To give it some energy. And importantly, to put emphasis on the exclamation point! The exclamation point is the soul of the brand. Literally a punctuation mark that stands for amplification! Exuberance. Excitement.

I could not be more excited about what’s coming next. Join us on the journey. Let’s yodel!