From Google to Nike, these big brands changed names before Facebook became Meta | Business News Today

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Facebook has changed its name to Meta Platforms. However, dramatic rebranding is not new to the corporate world. Many large companies have undergone these types of transformations for various reasons.

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Facebook said the rebrand would “better encompass” all of its activities as the social media giant expands its reach in areas such as virtual reality. The name change applies only to the parent company and not to individual platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Oculus, and Whatsapp.

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Several companies have undergone these rebranding exercises for internal restructuring in order to effectively represent their range of products and services. However, companies sometimes strip their names to rid themselves of bad publicity, scandals, or negative associations. Long-term business failure or change in cultural values ​​also precipitate a name change. In some cases, companies change their name to avoid legal problems such as trademark violations. Here is a list of some of the biggest brands that have changed names in the past:

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Google: In 2015, Google restructured its company under a new holding company called Alphabet. Google remained an independent entity under the parent company, while Alphabet Inc. replaced Google Inc on the stock exchanges. Sundar Pichai was named CEO of Google, while Larry Page became the then CEO of Alphabet. The move followed complaints from investors that Google’s forays outside of its core search business weren’t transparent enough. Additionally, the company faced antitrust concerns about its advertising business. (Image: Reuters)

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Nissan: The Japanese automaker rejected one of its most popular car brands, Datsun, in 1981 to unify the company’s global image. Estimates suggest that ditching the Datsun brand cost Nissan a fortune.

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Philip Morris: Philip Morris, the maker of Marlboro, changed its name to the Altria Group in 2001. Researchers at the University of California said the company found its name too synonymous with tainted tobacco and tried to isolate other brands like Kraft from negative associations. through rebranding. (Image: Reuters)

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Accenture – Before 2001, Accenture was known as Andersen Consulting. The company changed its name after breaking ties with Andersen Worldwide and Arthur Andersen. (Image: Reuters)

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WWE: The famous World Wrestling Federation became World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE in 2002 after a conflict with the World Wide Fund for Nature over the acronym WWF.

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LG Electronics: LG, Korea’s leading electronics company, started out as Lucky, a company that made cosmetics and plastics, in 1947. It later added another brand that sold electronics called GoldStar. In 1995, the company changed its name to LG and adopted the motto “Life’s Good” with the same initials.

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Blackberry: In 1984, Research in Motion was founded as a developer of wireless data technology in North America. In 2013, it changed its name to BlackBerry, its most popular smartphone, in hopes of reviving the declining brand.

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Sony: Sony was established in 1946 as a radio repair shop under the name Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo. The company manufactured Japan’s first transistor radio in 1955, followed by the world’s first transistor television in 1960. The company was named Sony Corporation in 1958. (Image: Reuters)

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Nike: Known as Blue Ribbon Sports, Nike was originally a distributor for the Japanese shoemaker Onitsuka Tiger. She later changed her name to Nike, which is the name of the Greek goddess of victory. (Image: Reuters)

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Subway: Dr. Peter Buck and Fred DeLuca started a sandwich business in 1965 under the name Pete’s Super Submarines in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The company changed its name to Doctor’s Associates a year later. Eventually, the co-founders named the company Subway.