Opinion: A Facebook rebrand could be a huge risk

There was a hint of a rebrand four months ago when Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg told The Verge in July that Facebook would shift from being seen as a social media company 'to being a metaverse company'. — Relaxnews

Facebook Inc may be preparing a fresh coat of paint for itself. A report in technology news site The Verge, citing a source with direct knowledge, says that the company is planning to change its name next week to reflect its new focus on building the metaverse — a new digital network for connecting to others through augmented reality and virtual reality, whose future success is by no means a given.

Facebook has not commented on the story, but if it’s true, it would be the kind of pivot that public relations managers dream about, deflecting attention away from a series of damning exposes about human harm caused on the social media network. Rebranding after a series of missteps or bad press can be a Hail Mary attempt to change public perceptions.