10 companies that rebranded and upgraded their domain name in the process

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There are several reasons why a startup or established company needs to go trough a rebranding but one of the most common reasons is when a company enters into a new line of business or market that is not cohesive to the existing brand identity. Remember when Apple was known as Apple Computer? As the company evolved into new lines of business beyond computers, the original brand name was too restrictive. International expansion, a pivot, new audience, relevance, legal issues or mergers and acquisitions could be other reasons.

Here are 10 companies that rebranded itself:

• ZenPayroll rebrands to Gusto – Gusto.com

Payroll startup ZenPayroll changed its name to Gusto in 2015, changing away from a restrictive brand name with the word “payroll” in it, when it started moving beyond payroll, into benefits such as health insurance and workers’ compensation. The company acquired the matching Gusto.com domain name 8 days prior their relaunch as reported by Jamie Zoch here.

• Taser International rebrands to Axon- Axon.com

Arizona-based electrical weapons manufacturer Taser decided to rebrand as Axon earlier this year. The brand has been a household word for years, but the company felt it was time to leave that identity behind and double down on the body camera and digital evidence management side of its business. The company has been growing rapidly after it’s rebranding.

• Club W rebrands as Winc – Winc.com

Last year, Club W, a wine club startup based in Los Angeles, rebranded as Winc. Originally just an online marketplace, the company has expanded to a full-fledged alcohol business, sourcing and producing all of the wines it sells. The company has raised $30 million dollars to date.

• RelayRides Rebrands As Turo – Turo.com
• Alphaworks Rebrands As Quire – Quire.com
• GrabTaxi Rebrands To Grab – Grab.com
• InstantCab Rebrands As Summon – Summon.com
• DeveloperAuction Rebrands As Hired – Hired.com
• Virtual Piggy Rebrands As Oink – Oink.com
• Twitvid Rebrands As Telly – Telly.com
• MyPunchbowl Rebrands As Punchbowl – Punchbowl.com

Read about each of these acquisitions here