For Some Reason, Musk’s X Brand Is Not Sticking to Twitter 

Despite the rebranding and cultural impact of Twitter to “X” by Elon Musk in July 2023, has had many people continue to use the old name, “Twitter.”  

More than half a year after the highly publicized rebranding, the website’s URL remains “twitter.com,” and the new URL “x.com” merely redirects to the original site. Even reminders for “X Premium” subscription payments refer to “X, formerly Twitter.”  

Despite efforts to integrate the new brand name into various posts and update the platform’s logo, the transition from Twitter’s original identity seems incompleteand not a cultural impact, as Musk himself noted on the day of the branding change. 

The persistence of the “Twitter” name among users, both online and in person, as well as among some news outlets referring to posts as “tweets,” highlights the deep-rooted association and affection many have for the Twitter brand. Launched on July 15, 2006, Twitter quickly became a household name, embodying a unique product experience that turned the brand name into a verb (“We tweet, We Uber, We Google”), signifying actions in English and embedding the brand into popular culture. The words “tweet” and “retweet” were added to the Merriam-Webster and Oxford English dictionaries, respectively, in 2011. 

For many, Twitter was a central platform for sharing life’s significant moments, from new jobs to weddings and travel. Journalists found Twitter to be an invaluable tool for staying informed and connecting with sources, while public figures used it as a direct communication channel with followers. 

The rebranding to “X Corp” in early 2023, followed by Musk’s announcement to rename the platform to “X,” reflects Musk’s long-standing desire to name his ventures “X.” However, rebranding efforts are not always successful and can be quite challenging, requiring careful planning and significant investment to establish a new identity. Without proper execution, such initiatives can lead to confusion and loss, as seen in the examples of Gap, Tropicana, and Mastercard’s rebranding attempts, where changes led to significant backlash or financial losses before ultimately finding a successful branding strategy. 

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