On a sleepy Monday this week, we awoke to find that Twitter had become… X. 

Twitter launched in July of 2006. Six years later, the social platform boasted 140 million active users tweeting almost 340 million times a day.

For the 17 years since, the little blue bird has been the home of real-time social commentary and news from journalists, celebrities, internet personalities, and web3 bros. No more. 

The current event begs the question - what is a brand? Why is confronting an X suddenly so jarring when we go to twitter.com? 

Think of a ‘brand’ as a mental heuristic. A heuristic represents a mental shortcut, a snap evaluation of how we understand the world. Starbucks’ siren means coffee. The golden arches means hamburgers. The Nike swoosh means sports apparel. 

The investment you pour into your mark builds a mental shortcut in the mind of the consumer. It’s built with millions of dollars, thousands of ads, and years of consumer interactions.  

For 17 years, the little blue bird has signified real-time updates on the world. Today it flew the coop, leaving more questions than answers.

3 Stories Dominating Media and Tech Headlines

Musk’s Twitter Rebranding as X Is Off to a Confusing, Haphazard Start. The new X logo replaced the famous blue bird over the weekend. 

Twitter’s new CEO Linda Yaccarino explained that “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.”

Why it Matters: This major rebrand announcement comes just weeks after Meta’s twitter competitor Threads launched and gained millions users.

Barbie and Super Mario Prove Hollywood Needs New FranchisesThe new Barbie movie grossed over $155 million at the box office this past weekend, helping theaters hit their biggest weekend since April 2019. Two of the biggest films of the year, Barbie and Super Mario Bros., are based on old IP, one a major toy brand and the other a seminal video game series.  

Why it Matters: Franchises like Fast & Furious, Marvel, and Mission Impossible are still cranking out new movies, they aren’t seeing the box office or critical success they once did.With the union strikes in Hollywood, and the ever-evolving streaming market, big Hollywood studios have a tough road ahead.

Big AI really wants to convince us that they’re cautious. OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Anthropic have joined forces to launch the Frontier Model Forum — a new industry body to promote responsible AI development. 

Why it Matters: As AI technology is rapidly being integrated into nearly every industry and facets of everyday life, establishing guidelines and safety precautions for the emerging technology is crucial. 

Clients in the Spotlight

MOCEAN’s CEO spoke with the Wall Street Journal on the recent SAG-WGA strikes and their downstream impact on entertainment marketing. Read it here.

Stat of the Week - Brand Recognition

Brand recognition goes a long way. Although what defines a brand is a mixture of elements, certain facets stand out more than others.

• 75% of consumers recognize and remember a brand by logo first and foremost.

• 60% recognize a brand by its distinct visual style 

• 45% say they recognize a brand instantly by its colors

• 25% say that a brand’s unique tone of voice is the main identifier 

As major media and tech companies like HBO Max and Twitter have recently rebranded, there may be some challenges with new brand recognition for some consumers. 

One Fun Thing - What's Lost in Translation?

Many popular movies, TV shows, and video games have come from Japanese Manga comics. 

The New York Times breaks down how those famous comics got translated into English.