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Why did Elon Musk change Twitter to X? Marketers are asking, too.

By Joseph Menn

24 Jul 2023 · 4 min read

informed Summary

  1. Twitter has begun removing its name from its corporate headquarters, leaving only the blue bird logo and the "er" part of its name. This is part of a rebranding effort led by owner Elon Musk, who plans to transform Twitter into an "everything app."

SAN FRANCISCO - Twitter began removing its name from its corporate headquarters Monday, blocking two lanes of traffic as a large crane plucked letters off the sign. The crane departed by midafternoon leaving the task half-finished - only the blue bird logo and the "er" remained, next to a ghostly outline reading "@twitt."

Some will see that as an apt metaphor for the state of business at the social media platform. In changing Twitter's famous blue logo to a black-and-white "X," part of a sweeping rebrand that has alienated longtime users and left marketing experts perplexed, owner Elon Musk is trading a bird in the hand for the promise of a wide-ranging "everything app," one analysts say may never materialize.

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