In a major shake-up of the social media landscape, Twitter’s owner Elon Musk, and its newly appointed CEO, Linda Yaccarino, announced on Sunday the platform’s bold transformation. Twitter will ditch its iconic bird logo and be rebranded as “X,” with ambitious plans to venture into payments, banking, and commerce.
Founded in 2006, Twitter’s name derived from the sound of birds chattering, and its avian branding has been a trademark since its inception. Musk, who owns Twitter and the parent company X Corporation, tweeted a picture of the new logo late Sunday night: a simple white “X” set against a black background. Describing it as “minimalist art deco,” Musk also updated his Twitter bio to “X.com,” which now redirects to twitter.com.
The changes signal a strategic shift for the social media giant, as it aims to diversify its revenue streams beyond its struggling advertising business. Musk has been steering Twitter in a new direction since acquiring the platform for $44 billion last October. The advertising business has faced challenges, with mass firings and content moderation issues leading to marketers souring on the platform.
Under its new identity, tweets will be referred to as “an X,” according to Musk’s tweets. The CEO also hinted at an ambitious vision for the platform, powered by AI, that will revolutionize interactivity through audio, video, messaging, payments, and banking. Yaccarino, who Musk poached from NBCUniversal to become Twitter’s CEO, expressed enthusiasm about Twitter’s future, saying X will create a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities.
The X.com reference harks back to Musk’s company founded in 1999, which later became the payments giant PayPal. This legacy suggests Twitter could become a multifaceted app, encompassing not only social media but also messaging and mobile payments.
While the changes were not immediately visible on the website, Musk promised a swift rollout of the new identity worldwide if a suitable X logo was posted. The transformation indicates Musk’s determination to transform Twitter into a comprehensive platform that encompasses various functionalities.
Despite Twitter having around 200 million daily active users, the platform’s technical failures and management controversies have taken a toll on its advertising revenue. Musk’s focus on introducing payments and commerce aims to establish new revenue streams and bolster the platform’s standing in the ever-competitive social media landscape.
The future of Twitter, now known as X, holds the promise of unlimited interactivity, expanding its scope beyond its traditional social media role. Musk’s vision for the platform, fueled by AI and innovation, seeks to redefine the way users connect, engage, and transact in this new era of social media.
- Tags: Elon Musk, Space X, Technology, Twitter
