Rebranding 101: What to Do When You Have to Change Your Name

Sometimes a rename isn't a choice — a trademark dispute, an acquisition, or outgrowing a name that no longer fits. Here's how to run it without losing the customers you already have.

Before you announce anything

• Lock the new domain, handles, and trademark clearance first — announcing before you've secured the assets invites squatting

• Set up 301 redirects from every old URL before the switch, not after

• Draft the customer-facing explanation before the internal team leaks it

The announcement window

Give existing customers a clear "same company, new name" message. The goal is zero confusion about whether this is a new product or the same relationship under a new label.

Long tail cleanup

Update every third-party listing — app stores, review sites, Google Business Profile — within the first week. Stale listings under the old name actively confuse search results for months if left alone.