On 28 October 2021 Facebook confirmed their rebranding to Meta at the company’s annual Connect conference. This change has taken the headlines since and has also brought up a considerable amount of surprise and speculation. Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expressed his recognition of the company’s significant growth and explained how the name change was deemed necessary in order to maintain it. Meta is planned to highlight the visions of our future as Zuckerberg adds, “It (Meta) is a better representation of what the company is working towards.”  

The name Meta is derived from the word ‘metaverse’, a shared online space that incorporates 3D graphics on both screens and in virtual reality. The Facebook company is widely known for its social platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, but Zuckerberg wants to steer away from that social focus and create a platform that emphasizes the idea of the future. Facebook is mainly linked  to the title of a ‘major social media platform’, but it is generally a company that intends to build technology to connect people. The name change to Meta allows the company to initiate the creation of the metaverse and adjust the identity of the brand. All social platforms will keep their names, but the umbrella term of Meta creates two distinguished segments for the company: apps and future platforms. 

Meta’s introduction at the Connect conference gave users a completely new perspective on Mark Zuckerberg’s intentions with the brand. The meaning of Meta itself also reinforces his plans: Meta means ‘beyond’ and is in reference to the company’s work to “move beyond what is possible today”. Augmented reality and holograms were just a few of the many unique ideas he included in his presentation, and they did not disappoint.