What NOT to Do While Rebranding: Lessons from Twitter’s Rebrand to X

Following Elon Musk’s killing off of the bird app’s iconic logo and branding, the social media world is atwitter about the platform’s existential crisis. Given the seemingly sudden and unplanned nature of the rebrand, eyebrows have been raised over the new and comparatively bland direction of the brand’s lexicon, visual communication, and style. For a brand as iconic as Twitter (“tweet” is probably the only social networking service-related word to have been recognised by the major dictionaries), was such a drastic rebrand the right choice? While only time can answer this, we have collated a list of fundamental pitfalls brands should avoid while rebranding. Here are the lessons to be learnt from X’s rocky start:

1. Rebranding isn’t a mere facelift

Rebranding goes much beyond simply phasing out outdated visual identity. A specific strategic intent should be present, which should be clearly communicated to the customer base. Redesigning logos, colour palettes, and typography is all well and good, but the vision, purpose, and strategy behind the shift in direction should also be comprehensively clarified and evoked through the brand’s new values and USP. This will enable brands to retain their audience’s trust and ensure that the customer’s emotional bond with the brand stays strong.

2. Don’t rebrand just to go with the flow

With Twitter’s shift from a microblogging platform to X, the everything app, what will its USP be? Your brand’s USPs are what attracted your customers to you in the first place. Getting rid of or radically changing these just because what others are doing seems more exciting is a bad idea. Letting competitors drive a brand’s decisions is a tactical error and makes any attempts at rebranding look superficial.

3. Don’t confuse your audience by trying to keep the old brand alive

Are tweets now going to be called xeets? Or Xs as Elon Musk has proclaimed? The key takeaway from this confusion is that a clean break is the optimal choice for a rebrand. A gradual, phased transition creates uncertainty and confusion. Once you dump the old logo, be sure to do away with the old brand collaterals as well. A rebrand requires a synchronised, consistent, and coordinated transformation of all touch points.

4. Don’t forget to consider the legalities

Twitter’s name change to X has also landed it in troubled waters in several domains. While Apple had initially rejected X, citing failure to meet the minimum character requirement, Indonesia has blocked access to X.com due to its strict regulations. Moreover, in Japan, X Japan is already trademarked, as it’s the name of a popular rock band. Thus, before announcing a rebrand, consider whether you’ll need to apply for new trademarks or if the name is even up for grabs. Else, you’ll end up bogged down in legal battles to protect your name and your exclusive right to use it.

5. Don’t alienate your existing customer base

While rebranding, also consider your current brand equity, particularly how you will strike a balance between making your old customers happy and capturing the attention of new ones. If your rebrand can lead to a devaluation of your brand equity, then it isn’t the right decision to make. A case in point is that Twitterati often call Twitter the bird app, but “the everything app” doesn’t have that same ring to it.

That said, the entrepreneurial journey is a rocky climb, and to navigate the pitfalls of it, a strategic pivot is at times the best way ahead. Alternatively, over the course of time, a brand may outgrow its previous identity, or the industry landscape may have altered drastically. Such changes necessitate the rethinking of a brand’s business course, to revitalise and modernise the brand identity and ensure that it continues to resonate with the target audience. However, rebranding means venturing into unknown waters. To minimise the complexities of the process, robust planning, a foolproof strategy, and a clear focus are necessary.

Are you looking to shift gears for your brand? Would you like a team of professionals to step in and streamline the process? We’d be happy to help! Get in touch with us at [email protected]!

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