Playing the Name Game: What Happens to A Company’s SEO After a Rebrand?

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In the rapidly changing world of media and entertainment, brands are constantly adapting and evolving to survive, often accelerated by cycles of mergers and acquisitions. As brands consolidate, spin-off verticals, or split apart, it’s inevitable that some of them completely rebrand or change elements of their branding to better suit the new media landscape. The core challenge for a rebrand is always retaining the strengths of a brand’s old identity while creating new aspects that make the brand more competitive.

It can be a task as herculean as keeping track of the mergers and acquisitions themselves, but a crucial task nonetheless. Even for the world’s most successful media brands, rebrands are not without consequences, and SEO often slips through the cracks. So, how did some of the most significant recent rebrands size up?

Facebook/Meta: Expanding Reach into the Metaverse


Social media giant Facebook announced its holding company rebrand as Meta in October 2021. With holdings including Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, and Messenger, Meta touted itself as a “social technology company” and emphasized an increased focus on the “metaverse,” including investments in augmented reality, AI, and virtual reality. The goal? Drive user engagement and thus revenue through immersion in virtual reality, particularly Meta’s VR headsets.

However, the rebrand was criticized as a shield from a negative press cycle detailing Facebook’s aggressive pursuit of profits, no matter the costs to mental health or data security. It was also openly mocked online for placing all its eggs in the VR basket, which had repeatedly shown that it could not yet meaningfully connect with people and turn a profit.

At the very least, the rebrand soothed the discomfort of having multiple social media apps under the same roof. With Facebook as one of the company’s several platforms, having a neutral name for the holding company makes much more sense.

As for SEO, Meta’s neutral-if-futuristic-sounding name dominates the SERP and makes highly ranked appearances for searches related to VR, AI, and mixed reality. The rebrand also succeeded in taking some of the heat off founder Mark Zuckerberg, with the help of Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter.

Twitter/X: Rebranding Resistance


Elon Musk’s highly controversial acquisition of Twitter for roughly $44 billion occurred in October 2022, but the platform remained mostly unchanged until July 2023, in which Musk announced he was moving away from the Twitter name and branding to rename the platform X. However, the full rebrand was not finalized until May 2024, when the URL officially changed from twitter.com to x.com. The move toward X stripped Twitter of its original color palette, iconic bird logo, and all bird-related imagery, changing “Tweets” and “Retweets” on the platform to “Posts” and “Reposts” respectively.

Musk previously stated the move was related to his desire to turn Twitter/X into a super-app, incorporating text, audio, video, and even banking. However, the move has been widely criticized within the industry – expert analysts say Musk wiped out anywhere from $4 billion to $20 billion in brand equity by rebranding to X. 

Even further, a Google search of “X” yields complicated results. While the platform remains the first result, the SERP’s Knowledge Panel still refers to the platform as Twitter, and the remaining results include a band called X, the moonshot company X (a subsidiary of Google and Alphabet), and the Xbox Series X. Video results are dominated by news stories of users moving away from X, many of which have joined the mass exodus to Bluesky, a near-clone by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. 

Aside from yielding more diverse search engine results, the rebrand to X has unfortunately forged new brand associations with increased bigotry, bots, and what Forbes describes as “meaningless ChatGPT drivel.”

In a Forbes contribution, marketer Dr. Marcus Collins wrote that to many, the name X signifies the death of Twitter. Whether this is the end remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: the platform took a major hit by rebranding to X.

HBO Max/Max: Attempting to Appeal to All


In May 2023, HBO Max abandoned its prestigious name, purple colors, and original app in favor of Max, the product of Warner Bros. and Discovery’s merger. The new platform featured more than double the content of HBO Max, most acquired from Discovery+ streaming. 

However, many saw the change as a downgrade, stripping away the quality associations of the HBO name in favor of a streaming service with a name so generic it couldn’t even acquire its own name as a Twitter or Instagram username. While some in the industry criticized the “deeply unoriginal blue” and “almost-too-ridiculous-to-believe tagline,” Warner Bros. Discovery quickly explained the decision. 

JB Perrette, president and CEO of global streaming and games for Warner Bros. Discovery, explained the growth potential in animation and family-friendly categories following the rebrand. In an interview with Variety, Perrette elaborated on HBO’s brand standing for “edgy, groundbreaking entertainment for adults” – gritty prestige watches like “The Sopranos,” “Game of Thrones,” and “Succession” are all closely tied to the HBO name. However, with the integration of Discovery+ content, Warner Bros. Discovery saw significant potential to make its streaming platform more family-friendly and signal the broader catalog of content to stream.

Initially, the numbers looked concerning – Max reportedly lost 1.8 million subscribers in the first three months. However, by February 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery reported Max as the first Hollywood conglomerate to net profits from its streaming service. Brand consultants say this success can be attributed to the Max catalog engaging with every household member, combining the male-skewed HBO content with female-skewed Discovery. 

In terms of brand SEO, Max’s results are surprisingly good. A quick Google search immediately yields Max as the first result, with multiple Featured Snippet links for easier navigation and an accurate and robust Knowledge Panel. Only two results on the SERP are entirely unrelated to Max as a platform.

While it certainly has its haters, Max’s shaky start turned out to be a highly successful rebrand.

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From Plush Toys to Live Streaming: How Gaming Brands Became Content Creators

    From Plush Toys to Live Streaming: How Gaming Brands Became Content Creators

    Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, and Riot Games: These names have greatly influenced and transformed gaming into a global cultural phenomenon, defining how people interact, compete, and socialize in digital spaces.

    Gaming brands were never only about creating games. These names have become content creators, storytellers, and lifestyle brands. From animated series and live-action films to comics and merchandise, these things allowed gaming brands to expand their reach and engage with a wider audience.

    So, if it’s not only about creating video games, what exactly are gaming brands all about?

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    In-house creative teams work within a brand or organization and handle the company’s creative field. They handle everything from graphic design and video production to copywriting and branding.

    Companies like Riot Games have produced high-quality animated series based on their game universes, such as Arcane for League of Legends. Some game franchises have been adapted into live-action films and Digital Comics, like Blizzard Entertainment and Dark Horse Comics, which publish digital comics based on their game franchises.  

    Gaming brands use different marketing strategies and tools, depending on their target market, the content, or the message they want to convey. Here’s a look at some of those strategies.

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    Gaming brands can generate additional revenue and expand their brand presence by having their own merchandise. For example, some of the most famous merchandise for Nintendo is their Pokémon collection, including plush toys and trading cards, as well as Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda.

    PlayStation, on the other hand, has been selling its consoles as collectible items, especially limited-edition models. It also sells PlayStation controllers that are often customized and sold as collectibles.

    Another great example of gaming brand merch is CD Projekt Red. The brand has launched an online store where you can find a wide range of clothing and collectibles related to their popular franchises, such as The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, as well as board games and collectible cards.

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    Esports have become a major part of the gaming industry. In this arena, gaming brands can create different types of content, such as live streams, reels, and documentary-style videos.  

    One well-known example is Riot Games, founded in 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill to change how video games are made for players and how players interact with each other. In 2009, Riot released League of Legends. The game has since become one of the most-played PC games in the world, leading to significant growth in esports. 

    Rio Games then started hosting the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), an annual League of Legends that began in 2015. It is the second-most important international League of Legends tournament, behind the World Championship

    As they prepared for the 2018 MSI in Paris, Riot Games looked for ways to enter this international event differently while continuing to deliver high-quality content. During the 2018 MSI, multiple teams competed over three, six-hour stretches, and this competition was streamed in a broadcast to esports fans via Twitch, YouTube, and other video services. 

    Riot Games broadcast of the 2018 League of Legends World Championship was carried globally by more than 30 television channels and digital platforms to more than 99.6 million viewers. This was achieved using new remote production video streaming and video encoding technologies from Haivision. The tournament was broadcast from Korea while being centrally managed and produced from the Riot Games’ headquarters in Los Angeles.

    Describing this technology, Peter Maag, Chief Marketing Officer in Haivision said, “Our technology and expertise in streaming low latency video over all types of networks helped deliver the level of reliability and flexibility that Riot Games needed for their remote production. We worked closely together to build a REMI workflow that supports a successful broadcast while significantly reducing operational costs, which allows Riot Games to continually innovate and deliver great experiences to their rapidly growing fan base.”

    Recently, Riot Games has made progress in streaming by adding new features that allow players to watch streamers playing games directly on Riot Mobile. 

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    Releasing soundtracks featuring music from games can attract a broad audience and generate additional revenue since music is an essential feature of video games’ identity and experience. Fortnite, for example, regularly collaborates with musicians for original songs and virtual concerts, such as Travis Scott’s event in 2020. This virtual concert experience, “Astronomical,” was a massive success.

    Travis Scott performed a virtual Fortnite world concert featuring a visually stunning and immersive experience. In this experience, players could interact with the performance by floating around the stage and participating in challenges.

    One of the largest in-game experiences ever, with around 12 million simultaneous views on the first day of the video game event, and over 27 million players attended during the five-day experience. The “The Scotts” music video was also filmed within the “Fortnite” event. 

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    Many gaming brands have incorporated educational elements into their games or have developed standalone educational products and platforms that allow users to create their games and experiences.

    One example is the virtual world created by Roblox, where players can learn, collaborate, and express their creativity.

    Roblox Studio uses a visual scripting language that’s easy to learn, even for beginners. Through these games, players can learn fundamental programming concepts and functions.

    The company planned to invest  $15 million into its Roblox Community Fund, which supports educational programming and works to create experiences while also teaching everything from math to mental and emotional health strategies.

    Roblox CEO and founder David Baszucki described the immersive experiences they’re creating and their importance to students. He said, “We imagine a world where millions of students will be learning via co-experiences on Roblox that facilitate solving problems, creating, collaborating, and having fun together.

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    Gaming brands are more than just video game creators. By creating diverse products and services and through brand publishing, these companies engage their audiences, enhance loyalty, and extend their reach beyond the games themselves.

    Live experiences, such as Fortnite’s in-game concerts or Roblox’s branded virtual spaces, show the importance of gaming brands’ strategies to expand the brands’ influence and create a broader impact.

    This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.us.

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    Featured Image Credit: metamorworks / iStock.

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