{
  "id": 15768199,
  "title": "Rebranding, relaunching, relapsing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/rebranding-relaunching-relapsing",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-20T16:52:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Recorder",
    "slug": "business-recorder",
    "url": "https://www.brecorder.com/news/40445138/rebranding-relaunching-relapsing"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 1976, Steve Jobs co-founded Apple, which has since become the world's most valuable brand. Imagine if, upon Steve Jobs' removal in 1985, the board had renamed the company something other than Apple, only to revert the name back in 1997 when Jobs returned, and again in 2011 when Tim Cook took over as CEO. Would the brand still have achieved the same equity and premium pricing? It seems unlikely. Apple's brand equity was built not just through its products, but through consistent messaging, design, experience and decisions, all tied to one name.\n\nNow, let's travel from Cupertino to Islamabad. In 1992, PTV-2 was launched, which became PTV World in 1998. It was then taken off the air and replaced by PTV News in Urdu in 2007. In 2013, PTV World was relaunched as a dedicated English-language news channel. After 12 years, in 2025, it was rebranded again as Pakistan TV, with a new logo, colors and name. In this process, PTV World retained the same social media account with followers accumulated under the old name, with no new platform built from scratch.\n\nThis isn't just a PTV problem; it's a pattern that has occurred in Pakistan for decades with organizations and initiatives. For instance, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was launched in 2008, but in 2019, it was absorbed into a larger umbrella, Ehsaas, and its branding disappeared, even though the program continued to operate underneath. In 2022, the name was restored under a new government. Similarly, the Prime Minister's Youth Programme was launched in 2013, rebranded as Kamyab Jawan in 2019, and then returned to its original name after the 2022 government change, while some initiatives continued under the broader youth-programme structure.\n\nThe issue is that consistent name recognition is essential for building a coherent narrative. A changing name disrupts that narrative, making it difficult for people to form a relationship with the subject. This pattern of name changes goes unnoticed by many, but it has real consequences. It undermines the ability of institutions to tell a coherent story about themselves, which can contribute to the state's struggle to convey a consistent message to the public.\n\nThis practice comes at a significant cost, but it is rarely quantified. There are no line items for the costs of logo redesigns, new signage, reprinted forms, or ad spend to teach the country a new name that will likely be abandoned within a few years. As long as these costs remain invisible, this pattern is likely to continue.\n\nThe incentive for such changes is often one-sided. In some cases, a genuine shift in mandate may necessitate a name change, but often, the old name carries baggage that is undesirable. When institutions merge, they sometimes need to adopt new names.\n\nHowever, the best example of a name enduring across different administrations is Brazil's Bolsa Família, launched in 2003 as the country's flagship anti-poverty programme. It has been recognized globally and has endured name changes across different political parties and presidents for nearly twenty years. In contrast, when the name is abandoned, it can be more costly than restoring it.\n\nIn the case of PTV World, its stated purpose is to provide an authoritative Pakistani voice to international audiences and cover international developments through a Pakistani lens. This is a difficult case to make abroad when the channel cannot maintain a consistent identity at home. Nation branding starts with the domestic version of the story being able to survive its own government long enough to be worth telling.\n\nIn conclusion, while name changes are sometimes necessary, they should not be taken lightly. The costs of these changes, both tangible and intangible, are often overlooked. Brazil's experience with Bolsa Família shows that a name can become so ingrained that abandoning it can be more costly than restoring it. The challenge for institutions in Pakistan is to build a cohesive narrative that can withstand the inevitable changes in leadership and policy.",
  "summary": "On 1 April 1976, Steve Jobs cofounded Apple. Today, after 50 years, Apple is the world’s most valuable brand. Now what would have happened if the Apple board, when it removed Steve Jobs in 1985, immediately changed the name of the company to something other than Apple, and in September 1997, when Steve Jobs returned, changed the name of the company back to Apple, and in 2011, when Tim Cook…",
  "key_points": [
    "Apple's brand equity built through consistent messaging, design, experience, and name.",
    "PTV World rebranded multiple times in 1998, 2007, 2013, and 2025.",
    "Consistent name recognition essential for coherent narrative and institution's message."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}