Israelis‘ Facebook's ’new name'

Israel's social media users are mocking Facebook's new company ‘Meta’ because the new name sounds like the Hebrew word ‘dead’. A post reads ‘No one has done their (Facebook's) # branding research.’

Dr. Niriet Weiss-Blatt, author of The Techlash and Tech Crisis Communications, tweeted, ‘Meta‘ means ’dead‘ in Hebrew. The Jewish community will mock the name for life.’’ He added, ‘Meta’ sounds like the feminine of the word ’Meta".’

Another Twitter user asked, ‘Maybe this is a message? i Not a conspirator.’ And another wrote: ‘Maybe Facebook (I think, now meta?) There should have been some focus groups on rebranding.# Facebook Dead.’

The Israeli emergency rescue agency Zaka, whose job is to collect human remains to ensure a proper Jewish tomb, has quoted Twitter followers to assure them, ‘Don't worry, we're with it.’

This is not the first time that brands do not give priority to the translation, when KFC came to China with its catchphrase ‘Finger Licking Good’ in the 1980s, locals did not take it well. In Mandarin, it was translated ‘close your fingers’, but the company did not do any real damage, but KFC was one of the largest fast food chains in the country.