Plus: Redditors are increasingly annoyed with promotional brand posts; Gen Z is taking action against brands using AI.
Instagram has a new look. And the internet has opinions.
Its recognizable camera app icon isn’t changing. But the platform replaced its longtime lettering with a cleaner design that mixes script and print.
“The wordmark at the top of the app hasn’t changed in 10 years, so it was time for a refresh,” Instagram’s Adam Mosseri said in a post on the platform. “Cleaner and more modern, with references to the original and the simplicity and craft that’s always made it Instagram.”
Variety reports users were quick to point out that the “r” in the new logo looks more like a “u” or “z,” with one user responding, “Instagwam – how a toddler would pronounce it. Perfect.”
Social media researcher Matt Navarra also weighed in. In a post on X, he wrote: “Design peeps are going to have a fun day tearing it apart. For what it’s worth, i dig it. Fresh, modern, true to the original. Although some are saying it reads: Instagzam. I dig that.”
Mosseri seemed to lean into the strong reactions, sharing the new logo on Threads and writing, “Thought I’d share this on Threads (too) and see what the hot takes might be.”
Why it matters: Logo changes are almost guaranteed to draw some complaints, especially when people have stared at the old version for a decade.
Instagram did something smart by explaining the thinking behind the change instead of just dropping a new design and moving on, while Mosseri openly invited reactions, including all the jokes and “hot takes.”
This is still a good reminder that any brand refresh needs a story, no matter how small the change. Explain exactly what’s changing, what’s not and, most importantly, why anyone should care. Instagram kept its most recognizable icon while updating the pieces around it, which makes this less of a total overhaul of the brand and more of an evolution.
And if people decide your “r” looks like a “z”? Sometimes the best response is to let the internet have its fun.
Why is Reddit warning brands?
Brands have been paying much closer attention to Reddit lately, in large part because conversations there play a major part in AI-generated answers.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Brilliant Earth recently advertised for a “Reddit strategy manager” who would help shape conversations across “search engines, LLMs, and customer decision-making.”
But Reddit users noticed this. A moderator of the r/jewelry subreddit warned that sudden waves of positive posts about the company “might not be coincidental.”
This is something that’s becoming a bigger challenge for brands. Reddit’s value comes from users believing they are reading genuine opinions. Moderators are cracking down on promotional posts and efforts to game AI search results.
Reddit is also warning brands against this. “If you’re coming to our platform as a way to hack the results on another platform, it’s usually going to wind up with unhappy results for you,” Reddit Chief Communications Officer Adam Collins told WSJ.
Reddit may be important to brand visibility, but communicators can’t use it like Instagram or LinkedIn. The brands finding success on Reddit tend to be useful rather than promotional. For example, Fidelity is using Reddit to build communities around useful financial discussions and resources.
Brands should listen first. Answer real questions and provide information people actually need. Trying to manufacture positive conversation could destroy the credibility that makes Reddit valuable to brands in the first place.
How do Gen Zers feel about brands using AI?
Brands using AI in their marketing may want to pay attention to how Gen Z is responding. A new Rival Technologies study found that 72% of Gen Z consumers have taken some kind of action against a brand after encountering AI-generated marketing.
Marketing Dive reports that half said they had unfollowed a brand, 48% unsubscribed from emails or texts and 43% said they had stopped buying from a brand altogether.
The backlash isn’t necessarily about whether AI-generated content looks bad or like slop. Respondents tied their concerns to what AI use represents, including lost jobs and uncompensated creative work.
“Their concerns go beyond the content itself to questions about jobs, creativity and how people are being treated,” said Paula Catoira, chief marketing officer of Rival Group.
Communicators need to think beyond whether AI can make content faster or cheaper. Audiences may also judge what its use says about the company. A brand celebrating AI efficiencies while cutting creative jobs, for example, could reinforce the exact concerns younger people are having.
Understand where your audiences draw the line, be thoughtful about when AI is visible and keep the human judgment and creativity behind your brand really clear.
How is Flock Safety explaining its new feature?
Flock Safety is adding new safeguards to stop police from misusing its license plate reader system. This means requiring all customers to turn on its new “Audit Assistance” feature by the end of the year. The tool looks for unusual searches and can flag users for review.
Flock says the system has already helped catch misuse. The company told TechCrunch that the tool “flags atypical search patterns for further review” and stressed that a flag does not automatically mean abuse happened.
In one video, Flock co-founder Paige Todd said “Audit Assistance actually flags unusual patterns early. Think a user searching the same plate repetitively for more than 30 days.”
But other than saying what it is and what it can prevent, Flock still hasn’t explained much about how the tool works or shared data showing how effective it is.
When trust is in question, saying a safeguard works is only part of the job. Brands need to explain how protections work and show evidence that they actually make a difference. Otherwise, efforts meant to reassure people can raise even more questions.
The post The Scoop: People are mocking Instagram’s new logo. The platform is inviting opinions anyway. appeared first on PR Daily.
