Elon Musk replaces the Twitter logo with an X

On Monday, Twitter revealed its latest logo, introducing a white X on a black background as part of its upcoming rebranding as “X.”
Elon Musk spearheaded the significant corporate redesign, opting for the “X” logo, as the company grapples with challenges in advertising appeal and heightened competition.

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The emblem visible on the website and the badges assigned to staff profiles underwent a transformation, replacing the iconic bird that had been synonymous with the brand for more than a decade with a sleek “X” symbol.

Musk announced the redesign on Sunday, writing on Twitter, “Soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds.” “If a good enough X logo is posted tonight,” he continues, “we’ll make [it] go live worldwide tomorrow.”

On Monday, the entrepreneur shared a photo of the Twitter headquarters with the new logo.

Twitter’s website URL stays unchanged, as does the name of the app in the Google and Apple app stores. Both now have X Corp in the listing.

Since acquiring Twitter last year, Musk has been actively implementing significant changes to the platform. Among these changes, he officially changed the company’s name to X Corp in official filings. His ultimate vision is to develop an all-encompassing “everything app” under the unified brand “X.”

During a meeting with top marketers in Napa, California, on Sunday, Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino presented the vision for X. She passionately urged those in attendance to join forces with the company as they prepare to implement changes in the upcoming weeks.

The startup’s primary objective is to shift its focus from a text-centric platform to a more comprehensive one that integrates audio, video, and payment elements. In doing so, they aim to attract advertising partners while also seeking collaborations with broadcasters and payment companies. This transition marks a significant step in broadening their offerings and appealing to a broader audience.

According to Twitter’s disclosure, Yaccarino shared with the board of the Mobile Marketing organization, a trade association for marketers, that the company plans to leverage artificial intelligence through a close partnership with Musk’s newly established AI venture, xAI. The intention is to employ Twitter’s data for training the AI models developed by xAI. Additionally, the startup envisions using xAI’s cutting-edge technology to enhance the functionalities and performance of Twitter’s platform.

“X is the future state of limitless interactivity centred on audio, video, messaging, payments/banking — creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities,” Yaccarino tweeted on Sunday. “Powered by AI, X will connect us all in ways we’re only just beginning to imagine.”

Since Musk acquired Twitter for $44 billion in October, the company has faced increasing scrutiny. The billionaire entrepreneur initiated workforce reductions and cost-cutting measures, leading to significant policy changes that have displeased consumers and advertisers. These changes have resulted in a substantial 50% decline in advertising revenue and pushed the company to the brink of bankruptcy. The challenges ahead for Twitter remain daunting as it navigates through these turbulent times.

This month, Twitter’s rival, Meta, unveiled Threads, a highly anticipated Twitter competitor that quickly gained traction with tens of millions of users. In response, Twitter has taken a firm stance, declaring its intention to sue Meta, alleging that the company stole its trade secrets during the development of the new messaging service.

Musk is known for having a track record of changing his mind following public statements. Should he proceed with the rebranding and implement the changes, it would represent the latest effort in his ongoing attempts to steer the company in a new direction.

In May, Musk appointed Linda Yaccarino, formerly the president of advertising at NBCUniversal, as the CEO of Twitter. The move was a strategic effort to win back the support of numerous major advertisers who had previously departed from the platform due to Musk’s unconventional leadership style and looser content regulation.

Musk claims that advertisers are returning to Twitter, but he continues to irritate the platform’s users. Last month, he caused outrage by announcing that the social media network would temporarily restrict the quantity of postings users could access.

In addition, Musk acknowledged this month that the company had not achieved positive cash flow as he had previously predicted in March, where he expected it to happen by the second quarter. “We’re still in the red, thanks to a 50% drop in advertising revenue and a heavy debt load,” he wrote on July 14.

According to Twitter’s website, the company considers its most iconic asset to be the light-blue bird emblem, which holds global recognition. The bird was playfully named “Larry T Bird” by Twitter co-founder Biz Stone in reference to the renowned former basketball player Larry Bird.