Why the MSNBC Rebrand Misses the Moment

MSNBC announced it will rebrand to “My Source News Opinion World” (MS NOW) as part of its NBCUniversal spinoff. This is a case study in how not to think about media brand strategy in the AI era, especially when contrasted with Dotdash Meredith’s recent rebrand to People.

Media Companies Need Differentiated Brands

As my client Chartbeat argues, the most important thing a media company can do right now is build a differentiated brand.

The value exchange that propped up digital media — traffic from search and social platforms in exchange for free content — is broken. Meta deprioritized news. Google’s shift to zero-click search cut off referral traffic. Now AI is making things worse.

LLMs are eating up many news and information queries. I now use LLMs more than Google — for everything from quick summaries of current events to evergreen questions like how to kill the ants in my kitchen. LLMs are more useful, more customized, and more interactive than traditional media. For serious breaking news coverage, I’ll still go to The New York Times. But most queries don’t require that level of rigor. And for those, media companies are getting cut out.

The only way forward is to build a brand worth going out of the consumer’s way for. That means offering content they can’t get anywhere else: uniquely credible hard news reporting, charismatic analysis, entertainment IP, or live sports.

If you don’t have one of those four things, LLMs, social, and UGC will beat you.

Adtech has a role to play here. Chartbeat gives publishers the engagement data and monetization tools to invest in the content they can build brands around and maximize its value. Firsthand helps media companies use AI to develop on-site experiences that rival those of LLMs. Transmit helps sports rights holders monetize those precious assets while protecting the viewer experience with streaming-native ad formats.

But before any of that: media companies need to build a differentiated brand. Aside from billion-dollar IP or sports deals, that starts with having a recognizable, provocative perspective — a unique position in the market that demands consumers pay attention to you and you alone.

That’s why the People rebrand signaled a move in the right direction while MS NOW got it wrong.

Why MSNBC Should Pivot

What should a legacy media company do when rebranding in this moment?

Stake out a bold, differentiated position. Choose a name that signals where you stand and who you're for. Give people a reason to come to you, even as LLMs make the basic facts commoditized. This isn’t a time to play it safe by engaging in undifferentiated corporate bingo. You have to take a swing.

“My Source News Opinion World” is none of that. It’s vague, corporate, and forgettable.

By contrast, People is directionally shrewd. Is a rebrand alone enough to secure the future of that organization? No. But it shows the folks over there are thinking right about doubling down on a recognizable brand with emotional relevance and a clear identity.

MSNBC should change course. Others should learn from their mistake.

You can’t afford to be forgettable. You have to stand for something. You have to be bold.

The time for “My Source News Opinion World” has passed.