Branding is vital since it creates a lasting impression on customers. It also informs them about what to expect from your business. It is a technique to set yourself apart from the competition by stating exactly what you have to offer, making you the better option. Branding boosts a company’s value, gives staff direction and drive, and makes recruiting new consumers easier. Brands are known to leave an indelible mark for decades, if not millennia.
As a result, many companies have dominated their respective industries and have become synonymous with the services they provide. That necessitates a significant amount of branding and marketing.
Facebook made headlines recently after announcing a significant shift in its brand image. The news that Facebook will be rebranding itself with a new name has gone viral on the internet. Now, it is official that Facebook has changed its name to Meta. However, the application’s name will remain unchanged.
While it may or may not work for a business this far along in its life cycle, here are a few examples of well-known brands that have changed their names in their early years.
1. Google (BackRub)
Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google as a research project in January 1996. Many people are unaware that Page and Brin first nicknamed the new search engine “BackRub” since it used backlinks to determine its relevance. It was subsequently changed to Google. Today, Google is the world’s largest and most powerful search engine.
2. Tinder (Matchbox)
Tinder, one of the most popular dating apps globally, was initially known as Matchbox when it was launched in 2012. However, the name was quickly modified because it was too similar to Match.com, another IAC dating brand.
3. Instagram (Burbn)
It may surprise you to learn that Instagram was previously known as Burbn, a term coined by founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. However, because of its features and lack of modern ideology, the app failed in general, allowing the founders to shake things up a bit, including the brand name.
4. PepsiCo (Brad’s Drink)
Caleb Bradham founded PepsiCo in 1893, and the carbonated soft drink was initially known as ‘Brad’s Drink.’ In 1895, it was renamed Pepsi-Cola, and in 1961, it became just “Pepsi.”
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