Thanks. All good points. It’s clear Elon has had a plan around where he can take X for a while now. There are elements of emulation aspirations (‘super-app’ alike Tencent’s WeChat), to financial services as per his original ideas in 1999. Key difference VS every other company is that he marches to a different drum and timeline than his peers, and has the resources to take his time. He can navigate advertising dips and debt tranches as needed. Also, AI tech is way early and he knows it. But again he knows how to play that tune and keep media and investors focused to the Game-plan he has in mind. See how he’s stretched out Full Self Driving for over a decade now without delivering it, and yet likely generated over $2 billion in revenues for that aspirational AI. More than what any AI company has done to date, including OpenAI and Microsoft. Thanks again.
The Earned media strategy certainly works, like it did for Trump. But the idea of X / X.com has a lot of baggage. It's not exactly a blank slate and he doesn't even own the IP rights to the use case (META might, MS possibly). Rolling out new rebranding poorly isn't a strategy, it's just a way to destroy brand equity. Corporate Seppuku is the phrase that I've heard from a few folks.
Brand synergies were there before he rebranded, he just made it harder not easier. If you think that companies don't advertise today, why do you think they will tie their brands (fate) to the new Twitter? Advertising is much easier and that's not going well. Name change doesn't make that different. Brands like stability and unless Black Rifle Coffee is going to spend big bucks, hard to imagine the marketing dollars being there for any big initiatives.
Facebook wanted to get rid of the declining Facebook brand. But the iconic Twitter brand was really only declining in the past year. I don't really say Alphabet, I say Google. There is a pattern, but it feels like New Coke.
Everyone is an AI company. But it's also about timing. FedNow exists today- there is no opportunity to create x-paypal again. No one is looking for yet another entrant into the crowded AI race. I can't imagine that my "digital twin", trained on my tweets, is what I want to put out in the world to interact with the rest of humanity.
Thanks. All good points. It’s clear Elon has had a plan around where he can take X for a while now. There are elements of emulation aspirations (‘super-app’ alike Tencent’s WeChat), to financial services as per his original ideas in 1999. Key difference VS every other company is that he marches to a different drum and timeline than his peers, and has the resources to take his time. He can navigate advertising dips and debt tranches as needed. Also, AI tech is way early and he knows it. But again he knows how to play that tune and keep media and investors focused to the Game-plan he has in mind. See how he’s stretched out Full Self Driving for over a decade now without delivering it, and yet likely generated over $2 billion in revenues for that aspirational AI. More than what any AI company has done to date, including OpenAI and Microsoft. Thanks again.
Congrats on the new endeavor!
The Earned media strategy certainly works, like it did for Trump. But the idea of X / X.com has a lot of baggage. It's not exactly a blank slate and he doesn't even own the IP rights to the use case (META might, MS possibly). Rolling out new rebranding poorly isn't a strategy, it's just a way to destroy brand equity. Corporate Seppuku is the phrase that I've heard from a few folks.
Brand synergies were there before he rebranded, he just made it harder not easier. If you think that companies don't advertise today, why do you think they will tie their brands (fate) to the new Twitter? Advertising is much easier and that's not going well. Name change doesn't make that different. Brands like stability and unless Black Rifle Coffee is going to spend big bucks, hard to imagine the marketing dollars being there for any big initiatives.
Facebook wanted to get rid of the declining Facebook brand. But the iconic Twitter brand was really only declining in the past year. I don't really say Alphabet, I say Google. There is a pattern, but it feels like New Coke.
Everyone is an AI company. But it's also about timing. FedNow exists today- there is no opportunity to create x-paypal again. No one is looking for yet another entrant into the crowded AI race. I can't imagine that my "digital twin", trained on my tweets, is what I want to put out in the world to interact with the rest of humanity.
Be well,
ace