Names are defining elements of a person’s identity. They help others identify us and allow us to develop our identity and sense of belonging. Their significance extends to communities and places.
Names are also important for brands, though in different ways. They still help with identity, but they’re less about belonging. With brands, names usually convey something about the brand, such as what it sells or offers, and help clients remember it.
Many brands have become international companies, making their names recognisable worldwide. What may surprise you about these brands is that some changed their names from what the companies started as.
There are many reasons brands choose to change their names. A new name can help brands expand into new markets if their existing name is too limiting. Changing a name can also be prompted by things such as new ownership, company mergers and acquisitions, scandals, or to increase public appeal. A name change can transform perceptions and make a brand more memorable. For these reasons, these global brands rebranded, altering how people worldwide perceive them.
1. X
X used to be called Twitter, but this changed in 2023 when Elon Musk became the organisation’s new owner. Musk’s reasoning behind the change was that he wanted to create a multi-use app capable of far more than just tweeting. Musk envisions X integrating banking, shopping, and messaging.
2. Sony
The electronics company Sony is known for many things, such as creating the PlayStation gaming console and producing numerous shows and movies through its subsidiary Sony Pictures Entertainment. One thing it’s not known for is its original name. The company had modest beginnings as a radio repair shop, operating under the name Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo. As the company grew and showed signs of going global, the founders, Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, changed the name to Sony to create global appeal. The name Sony was derived from the Latin word for ‘sound’ and paid homage to the company’s primary work of delivering audio technology.
3. PepsiCo
When Pepsi began being sold, the brand had a very different look and name. It was named “Brad’s Drink” and served at Bradham’s Drug Store, both named after Caleb Davis Bradham, who created the drink and owned the drug store. The drink was first served in 1893, and five years later, it was renamed Pepsi-Cola. Bradham chose the name based on the word dyspepsia, which relates to indigestion, as he designed the drink to aid digestion. The name stuck and has been a mainstay of the brand since.
4. Apricot Investments
Microgaming, a pioneer in online gaming, rebranded as Apricot Investments in 2018 to shift its focus from game development to platform technology and services. Despite the name change, the company retained the Microgaming brand for its historical significance until 2022, when it sold its gaming assets to Games Global. Today, Games Global distributes Microgaming’s iconic games, many of which players can enjoy without making a deposit, thanks to free spins and no-deposit promotions offered by online casinos.
5. Apple
In 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak launched Apple Computer Inc. At the time, Jobs and Wozniak were focused on developing user-friendly computers suitable for home and office use. In 2007, the company shortened its name to Apple Inc. This was due to Apple growing its product range to encompass more than just computers, including iPods, iPhones, and iPads.
6. BlackBerry
BlackBerry was an early pioneer of smartphones that became the must-have brand for business professionals and, eventually, the general public. The organisation was founded in 1984 in Canada as Research In Motion (RIM). As the company struggled amid fierce competition from Apple and Google, it rebranded itself to highlight its primary product, BlackBerry phones. The hope was that this would highlight its successes and be a more straightforward and easily recognisable name for consumers. The BlackBerry phone has been discontinued, but the brand continues to develop software and systems.
7. Google
Many of us rely on the Google search engine for various daily needs, making it so famous that it’s often used as a verb. The brand underwent a restructuring and name change in 2015. It’s still called Google but now operates as a subsidiary of the parent company Alphabet Inc. The reason for this significant change was to enable Google’s parent company to expand into new opportunities beyond what Google is known for, such as robotics, healthcare, and life sciences. Tracing Google back to its origins reveals that its original name was BackRub. This was changed to Google in 1998, inspired by the term ‘googol’.
8. Nike
In 1964, Nike emerged on the American shoe market thanks to former track-and-field athlete Phil Knight and his coach, Bill Bowerman. Knight and Bowerman named their new venture Blue Ribbon Sports and distributed shoes from the Japanese factory Onitsuka. Several years afterwards, the brand renamed itself after the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. The name change occurred following a split from Onitsuka. Although the name and logo became widely recognised, the 1971 rebrand alone didn’t achieve this; the brand’s first major athletic partnership with Michael Jordan in 1984 played a significant role.
9. eBay
eBay became the world’s first public online marketplace in 1995. At the time, it was called AuctionWeb and saw considerable success in its first few years of operating, exceeding $7.2 million in sales. In 1997, AuctionWeb rebranded to eBay and went international, seeing even more success and attracting users in over 180 countries.
10. Nintendo
This video game company has a long history, and its product lineup has evolved drastically since its inception. As hard as it may be to believe, Nintendo’s origins date back to 1889, with its founder, Fusajiro Yamauchi, manufacturing Japanese playing cards. In 1933, the name changed to Yamauchi Nintendo & Co, and in 1951, it became Nintendo Playing Card Co Ltd. By 1963, the brand underwent another name change, becoming Nintendo Co, Ltd, the name it still operates under today, and began manufacturing games.
