Branding of Twitter: Jack Dorsey
Share with Friends
Jack Dorsey discusses the branding of Twitter, focusing on the origin of the name and the verb “tweet.” He emphasizes the importance of the name’s resonance with users and its evolution through community contributions. The process involved initial brainstorming, dictionary searches, and adjustments due to shortcode limitations. Ultimately, the brand’s success is attributed to users’ ownership and inventive contributions to the platform’s functionality and language.
Highlights
- 🐦 The Name’s Origin: The name “Twitter” was chosen from a dictionary definition signifying short bursts of information, reflecting the platform’s core function. Initial names like “Jitter” and “Twitch” were deemed unsuitable.
- 🗣️ Community Contribution: The term “tweet” and many platform features (hashtags, retweets, tweetstorms) were organically created by users, highlighting the platform’s participatory nature.
- 💡 Branding Evolution: The initial logo was a bird illustration found online, evolving over time to become a globally recognized symbol. The company also adapted their shortcode strategy to accommodate availability issues.
- 💻 Technical Inspiration: The buzzing phone notification upon receiving a message inspired the desire for a name that conveyed the physical impact of a virtual action.
- 🤔 Personal Reflection: Dorsey reflects on the challenges of naming, relating his experience to personal struggles with his own name and its various, sometimes negative, definitions.
