Solving for X? What is the initial read on Twitter's rebrand to X. We look at the brand health and usage of Twitter vs. other social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Threads and more. In the light of the rapid rebrand, impact on the Twitter brand is expected, but the data shows a complex picture of a challenge facing Twitter before and after the name change.

1. DON’T CHALLENGE THE MARKET, CHANGE IT.
Rival Spark
Solving for X?
Rapid Analysis of Twitter’s Rebrand
July 2023
.X..X.

2. Welcome!
Thank you for viewing our Rival Spark report on Twitter’s Rebrand to X!
Rival is a marketing consultancy focused on helping brands grow and challenge market conventions. We want to
understand what makes brands into Rivals to existing market dynamics and our Rival Spark research program
aims to investigate the industry questions that can unlock this.
Twitter, as a brand, has shaped the social, marketing and cultural landscape for over 15 years. Rivalling Facebook,
Instagram, Google and others, the platform has competed at the highest levels for consumer attention -
becoming a verb in the cultural lexicon in the process. However, it's been a rocky year and now, the brand we
know has instead become ‘X’ - following its leader’s ambitions to make an ‘everything app’.
While reaction to the rebrand has been sharp, we wanted to get under the skin of how much the shift has
changed attitudes towards the brand with a fast moving piece of research. This is a short and sharp Spark,
highlighting a few key points to take away from this exact moment in time right after the rebrand
What comes next will be interesting to see and hard to predict.
Our research is survey based, sampling in the US & UK using Attest. We want to spark thought and debate
around this and other issues, so please find us on our website, LinkedIn or email to let us know what you think,
apply this to your brand or to collaborate on research.
We’re excited to hear from you,
DuBose Cole
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
dubose@wearerival.com

3. Twitter’s Rebrand to X Has Seen A 48% Drop in Awareness
Within the US / UK, 99% of the population was aware of Twitter, while only 51% are aware of its new identity as ‘X’ when asked if
they used or knew of the social platform
Source: Attest Survey (N= 1000 US / UK Working Population Nat Rep. 18-65) - July 25 2023

4. Twitter’s Importance Has Declined Beyond It’s Competition
When asked to rank the platform’s importance to them, consumers put X / Twitter in line with Pinterest and LinkedIn over it’s
previous competitive set
Source: Attest Survey (N= 1000 US / UK Working Population Nat Rep. 18-65) - July 25 2023

5. Twitter’s Middling Importance Stretches Across Demographics
Unlike Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, who have defined demographics who heavily prefer it, X / Twitter is consistently mid-table
for everyone
Source: Attest Survey (N= 1000 US / UK Working Population Nat Rep. 18-65) - July 25 2023

6. 40% Use Twitter As Much or More than 6 Months Ago
The series of disruptions to the platform have taken a toll on users, especially in the US, where 34% of users have reported using it
less or leaving the platform in the last 6 months
Source: Attest Survey (N= 1000 US / UK Working Population Nat Rep. 18-65) - July 25 2023

7. 18-24s Are a Must Keep Group for X / Twitter
As the most active user demographic, 18-24s have been the most likely to disengage, 35% say they’ve left or use Twitter less than
they did 6 months ago, while still representing the highest engaged user segment which cannot erode further
Source: Attest Survey (N= 1000 US / UK Working Population Nat Rep. 18-65) - July 25 2023

8. Takeaway:
Where Does X Goes From Here?
Any rebrand will create some level of user decline in
awareness and potentially other metrics for a brand. What
the brand does next dictates whether the pain was worth the
benefit gained.
For X, the promise of an everything app has captivated Elon
Musk for quite sometime and now, he has to begin to lay this
potentially broad brand’s story out to the world.
As hashtags calling for the return of Twitter’s bird and name
trend on the platform, showing the journey Musk has set the
brand on in a timely fashion is key - if only to show what
Twitter might become to users questioning why and where it
fits in their lives.
As a portfolio of brands and technologies will be needed to
take X where it seemingly wants to go, making sense of a
complex narrative looks to begin with Twitter but not end
there.

9. Check Out Our Other Rival Spark Research
Rival Spark is Rival’s research and insight programme, identifying the trends, knowledge and data needed for brands to grow and change the
way their markets operate. Find out more at www.wearerival.com or read other selected reports below.
Rival Spark:
How Brands Create Relationships
What do consumers want from brands by
sector, clarifying if an ideal brand
relationship exists & what it might be?
Rival Spark:
The Rise of the Pufferfish Challenger
What consumer trust exists in different media
channels and how are challenger brands
accessing trusted channels faster & earlier in
their lives?
Rival Spark:
Brand Purpose - Will the Marketers Save Us?
What are consumer & marketer attitudes to
Brand Purpose? How do different causes and
issues resonate with both audiences?

10. THANK YOU
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