When a reputation crisis hits hard—think “Facebook” becoming “Meta” or a scandal-plagued airline changing its livery—executives often ask: “Can we just change our name?” It sounds like the ultimate quick fix, but without a strategy, it’s a multimillion-dollar mistake waiting to happen.
Direct Answer: Changing your name only works if you also change your operations. If you rebrand but keep the same bad customer service or faulty products, the internet will find out immediately.
The Risk: “Internet sleuths” love exposing brands that try to hide. A failed rebrand often leads to headlines like “Company X tries to hide behind new name Y,” which is worse than the original bad press.
Rebranding works when the toxic reputation is attached to a specific name or era that you have genuinely moved past.
The “Clean Break”: New leadership, new values, AND a new name.
The “House of Brands” Strategy: If the parent company is toxic, spin off the product into its own distinct brand that doesn’t carry the baggage.
Considering a name change? Don’t do it blindly. Let us perform a Brand Sentiment Audit to see if your reputation is salvageable or if you need a fresh start.