Company Name Changes After Controversies

Rebranding signals new changes. Some companies may have partnered or joined forces with another organization. Meanwhile, others might have a change in product or service offerings. And in some cases, rebrands may help companies with a fresh start, particularly those caught in scandals. Here are the companies that changed their name after getting into scandals.

1. Livestrong Foundation

Before Livestrong Foundation became well-known, not only for its yellow wristbands, it was called the Lance Armstrong Foundation. At the time, Lance Armstrong beat the odds. He battled cancer and won the Tour de France. 

However, things went downhill when it was found that Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs. The foundation took a hit and many lost trust in the foundation. And the foundation never became the same since. However, they’re trying to reinvent themselves as the Livestrong Foundation.

2. Academi

Before Academi landed on its current name, let’s go back to when they were called Blackwater. They’re a private military contractor. Things didn’t go well for them in September 2007 when they killed Iraqi civilians. Eventually, they had to change their company name to look good in the press. Xe Services was the name. 

However, things turned worse for the company when Afghan civilians died, all because of two mercenaries. In 2011, they became formally known as Academi.

3. Altria

This list isn’t complete without mentioning Altria. We all know them by a name that many people smoke Philip Morris. Its former name is famous for manufacturing and selling cigarettes. It appeared that Philip Morris changed its name to Altria after being absolved of responsibility for a wrongful death case in 2003. Plus, there have been reports that Philip Morris had thought of changing the name two years prior because they sold products aside from cigarettes.

4. Bausch Health

Public outrage is one reason why some companies change their name. That was the case for Bausch Health. Before calling themselves Bausch Health, you may have known them as Valeant Pharmaceuticals. Yes, the same company that prices their medicines way too high. Plus, as the New York Times reported, there was an executive who defrauded the company. And those were the two reasons Valeant became Bausch Health.

5. McAfee

Here’s one case where even if the brand’s reputation isn’t excellent, consumers still preferred the old name better. You probably know McAfee and it being an antivirus software. According to Mashable, in 2013, John McAfee, the man who started this company, left it to start a yoga retreat and eventually went into hiding after being named a murder suspect.

In 2014, Intel owned McAfee and named it Intel Security. However, most consumers did like how McAfee sounded more than Intel Security. They reverted the name to the original one, and it’s still one of the well-known antivirus software applications.

6. Meta

Of course, it was inevitable to add Meta to this list. After all, Facebook was notorious for spreading misinformation on the social media platform. Even after the name change, it still does. And the fact they wanted to become one of the leaders in the Metaverse. Even with the name change, it still doesn’t erase the fact that Facebook’s name is still associated with misinformation, among other things.

7. CoreCivic

CoreCivic is one of the companies that changed its name after a scandal. They’re a private prison company, and they have been known for their mistreatment of their inmates. And there was also a document that revealed that privately-owned prisons had higher chances of violence than federal-owned ones. Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) was a part of that list. Added to that, the Department of Justice had also stated they would no longer use privately-owned prisons. That said, CCA changed to CoreCivic.