There’s always a risk associated when a company decides to rebrand. When right- (think Burberry or Apple), the new results are incredible, but when ill timed or executed, a brand can too often fade into obscurity. 

So we at The Practice were intrigued to see on Monday, that none other than Google, has decided to rebrand and restructure, all under the auspices of its new name, Alphabet. The announcement came in a blog post by Google’s CEO, Larry Page, who stated that Alphabet will now be a “collection of companies”, with Google still the largest. Now, the structure will include all of the company’s Internet products and acquired companies under one roof. In order to get our heads around the change, it’s worth remembering that Google is simply the original company for which its search engine is known- other companies under its wing include YouTube, and features such as Chrome and Android, which are huge in their own right. Therefore, if we put Google products on an equal playing field, separating out search, maps and advertising products, it’s clear that having everything under one umbrella makes sense. In addition, Alphabet will encompass Google Glass, Google X, Google Ventures, Fiber, Calico, Google Capital, Sidewalk Labs and Nest.

We’re clearly seeing a case of Google’s rapid expansion, with Internet of Things products from Nest and Fiber, robotics products such as drones from Google X, health tech from Calico, and countless more- Google evidently has felt the need to simplify, placing everything under one clear company name. From this list, it’s amazing to see just how diverse Google has become- and that this move signals the company’s intention to grow all of its companies and products in equal measure. For now, Google’s largest revenue stream comes from advertising, on both its search engine and YouTube, but we imagine in future that its tech products will become some of the most important, especially as investors continue to support upcoming innovative projects.

Alphabet’s new domain will be www.abc.xyz, which to our mind sounds like a clever alternative- (interestingly, BMW owns alphabet.com and has no plans to sell!) As an agency that helps clients with their rebranding, it’s important to decide upon a directional approach and strong name. And as a team, we unanimously agree that Alphabet can work as far as branding is concerned. For instance, Google has several well-known companies and products under its wing, and for the average person, many of these such as YouTube, Android and Nest, aren’t automatically associated with the Google name. This in itself is great for the rebranding process, and making audiences familiar with the new identity. Above all though, rebranding is only a small part of the company’s upheaval- it looks as though Google will be undergoing more of a restructuring. Nevertheless, if it hopes to maintain customer and investor advocacy, the company must do what it can to market itself as a new and forward thinking brand, yet still with the same great products that everyone has come to know and love.

What do you think about Google’s decision? Do you think a rebrand was inevitable for the company? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please tweet to us @PracticeDigital and share your comments on our Facebook page.