Twitter Erased By X: What does this mean for the platform's future?
Users have mixed feelings about the rebrand of Twitter to X. Here's everything you need to know about the change.
Photo Source: SEJ
On July 23, Twitter as we knew it was erased. Now, before we get ahead of ourselves, the platform and all of its content remained intact. However, the name and blue bird icon, which we’ve all grown accustomed to, were replaced by “X.”
Elon Musk, who bought Twitter last year, changed Twitter’s domain to X.com and announced the rebrand in a tweet - if we’re still calling it that. “And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds,” Musk stated.
X made a statement that night by projecting an X on its headquarters in San Francisco, followed by the removal of its Twitter letters the following day.
Since 2006, Twitter has developed into a cultural phenomenon, even dubbing “tweet” a verb. To emphasize this accomplishment, think about how many brand names have been turned into verbs. Not many, right?
This leaves the rebrand with high expectations and new questions: Will X need to start from scratch? Will X maintain the platform’s success? What makes X different?
While we’ve only focused on the visual changes on the rebrand, we must note that the goal is not only to change the brand’s image, but to create a more versatile platform. Instead of solely being used for social networking, it will now be used for banking and shopping as well.
“X is the future state of unlimited interactivity – centered in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking – creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities. Powered by AI, X will connect us all in ways we’re just beginning to imagine,” said X Chief Executive Officer Linda Yaccarino in a tweet.
It’s important to note that these changes came directly after Meta’s launch of Threads on July 5, a direct competitor to Twitter’s social networking features. Although X’s changes were likely a long time in the making, we believe the launch was advanced due to Threads rising as a potential threat. However, even when Threads launched, users had difficulty posting on the app without referencing “tweeting” out of habit.
Let’s be real, Twitter usage had been declining in recent years with the rise of Instagram and TikTok. However, Threads, a platform nearly identical to Twitter, launched with the fastest growth rates, but immediately lost engagement because of users' dedication to Twitter for those purposes.
X still serves as a platform to tweet on, and yes we are still using the term “tweet,” but maybe it needs more versatility to stay afloat alongside other large social platforms. Is X still trying to compete with other social platforms or transitioning into a financial platform? That we’re not sure of, but we’re intrigued to see how X rolls out its new features.
Best,
Ariana for the Don’t Count Us Out Yet Team
For Further Information:
Learn more about the launch of Threads and it’s direct competition with X in our recent article: