A Facebook Rebrand Could Be a Huge Risk
Renaming the social media giant would be a way to deflect attention away from its content problems. A troubling but shrewd move.
Change it.
Photographer: Joel Saget/AFP
Facebook Inc. may be preparing a fresh coat of paint for itself. A report in technology news site the Verge, citing a source with direct knowledge, says that the company is planning to change its name next week to reflect its new focus on building the metaverse — a new digital network for connecting to others through augmented reality and virtual reality, whose future success is by no means a given.
Facebook has not commented on the story, but if it’s true, it would be the kind of pivot that public-relations managers dream about, deflecting attention away from a series of damning exposes about human harm caused on the social media network. Rebranding after a series of missteps or bad press can be a Hail Mary attempt to change public perceptions.