Marketing and branding experts told Reuters that renaming Facebook is unlikely to keep the tech giant away from regulation and public scrutiny of the potential harm caused by its social media applications. The technology publication The Verge reported on Tuesday that the California-based company plans to change its corporate brand to reflect this, and has a social media platform that has made it a global household name. It also includes other thriving businesses such as Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus.
The company declined to comment on the possible rebranding report. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this story.
After a whistleblower leaked thousands of internal documents, Facebook was battling rigorous censorship, which showed that it increased online polarization when changing its content algorithm, failed to take steps to reduce vaccine hesitation, and became aware of the epidemic Instagram, a social media application, has damaged the mental health of teenage girls.
Earlier this month, the US Senate held a hearing on the impact of Instagram on young users.
James Cordwell, an internet analyst at Atlantic Equities, said: “Legislators and politicians are smart enough not to be fooled by rebranding.”
Marisa Mulvihill, head of brand and activation at Prophet, a branding and marketing consultancy, said that renaming may be an effective strategy to allow affiliated brands to maintain their reputation. But the media and regulators “will not stop investigating or reform because of your name change,” she added.
News Source: Gadgets 360
