What do you do if you are one of the most disliked company's ever? Maybe it is time to rebrand yourself? For Facebook, this is a little easier said than done. Despite Facebook's many failings, the platform remains widely used by billions of people. The brand is big, and people live in this uneasy relationship with Facebook where they know the company does bad things, but sort of accept it.
However, after a litany of scandals, it seems Facebook is indeed considering a rebrand. The Verge cites sources close to the company with knowledge of the possibility. It seems the company wants to disassociate itself from the social media platform.
Certainly, Facebook has a broad range of investments and interest across AI, development, and communication. By rebranding, the company would essentially take the Google/Alphabet approach. Facebook, the social network, would still exist, but the parent company would be called something else.
It seems Metaverse will underpin the rebrand and could even be the company name. If you are unfamiliar, Metaverse is a virtual world where users can access through MR headsets to learn, play, shop, and interact. Yes, it is exactly like the OASIS in Ready Player One and yes you probably should be terrified that a company like Facebook is focusing on this kind of technology.
Distance
Facebook's ownership of Oculus is likely playing a big role in the creation of Metaverse and also highlights why a rebrand to a parent company may make sense.
If may also allow that parent to somehow distance itself from the trouble Facebook often finds itself in. Whether it is having no consideration for user privacy, being aggressive with ads, monopolizing, political interfering, allowing offensive content on the platform, or the recent revelation that Facebook actively seeks profit over user wellbeing, the company has a long wrap sheet.
A rebrand could but some distance between the social network and other areas of the business. While that may seem unlikely, it is worth noting Instagram and WhatsApp do not face the same scrutiny or public reputation as Facebook, despite being owned by the company.
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Last Updated on February 14, 2022 8:18 pm CET by Markus Kasanmascheff
