Media Matters Worldwide rebrands to stop confusion amid X-Media Matters lawsuit

“Name confusion… was occurring more frequently than expected and occasionally came up in client meetings or new business discussions,” Taji Zaminasli, co-founder and managing partner of the company, told The Drum. “It became clear to us that we needed to move forward fully; we needed a name that reflected our true identity and eliminated that confusion.”

Now, to that end, the San Francisco-based agency is rebranding to Ars X Machina, or AXM, an adaptation of the Latin ‘ars ex machina’ meaning ‘art from the machine’. The new name was designed to reflect the organization’s commitment to combining human creativity with data-driven media solutions.

This was a difficult choice as the agency has built significant brand value in the market for over two decades. “This was not a decision we took lightly,” says co-founder Josy Amann.

Despite the name confusion, Zaminasli says the change represents a “natural next step” for the company and reflects the agency’s expert focus on combining creativity with technological innovation.

In fact, the phrase ‘ars ex machina’ has been used internally for nearly a decade, after a smart consultant used the phrase to describe the agency’s programmatic practice. At the time, biddable inventory and machine learning-driven media operations were relatively new concepts in the industry, and the agency adopted the term ‘ars ex machina’ to describe its approach.

But it was the press storm surrounding Media Matters for America’s dispute with X that brought the agency’s drive for change “to the extreme,” according to Amann.

While Media Matters Worldwide had hoped that Media Matters for America’s drama over Elon Musk’s X would calm down after the watchdog requested the case be dismissed, volume has only increased in recent months. In June, a U.S. District Court rejected that request and set a trial date for April 2025. The two organizations will go head-to-head over research claims Media Matters for America published last fall about the next frequency at which ads on X will run. Harmful content, such as anti-Semitic posts.

Now AXM is hoping it can extricate itself from this debacle once and for all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc562-dsrX4

The brand overhaul includes not only a new name, but also new messaging, a new visual identity, a revamped website and updated marketing materials.

The changes are also accompanied by a product rollout. Today, AXM is introducing an updated spin on traditional marketing mix modeling, which it calls Agile Mix Modeling (AMM), designed to address signal loss on the open web and the limitations of walled gardens. The agency claims that AMM’s use of machine learning and advanced statistical methods provides more accurate forecasts and near real-time data analysis. AMM measures how paid media affects sales by taking into account ad saturation, how long ads remain effective, and how their effects are distributed over time. The company claims this provides better attribution, forecasting, and suggestions for improving campaigns.

In testing, AXM reported that customers using the new offering saw 37% growth in incrementality and increased return on ad spend. Anecdotally, the agency says AMM also helps customers identify high-performing channels, such as music streaming, and allows them to reallocate resources from underperforming channels.

AXM is also innovating its machines by adopting agile methodologies and custom-built artificial intelligence tools to facilitate operational efficiency.

According to Zaminasli, the rebranding and internal changes have already been positively received by employees. He is optimistic that the transformation will be welcome news for partners as well.

“There will be a lot of excitement,” he says. “Our customers and partners know us well and know that we are not a stagnant company. We are always creating and building new ways of thinking and new ways of doing things. For them, this change gives a new name and energy to what we are currently experiencing…”

Looking ahead, the agency will remain committed to, in Zaminasli’s words, “developing our teams, doing great work for our clients, and caring,” while also continuing to focus on innovation. So in the coming months, AXM plans to expand its investments in artificial intelligence and tools to deliver personalized advertising experiences.

As for Media Matters for America, embroiled in lawsuits, its battle with X has broad implications for the entire media and publishing ecosystem. “The outcome could change the future landscape of media freedom and corporate reputation, with possible repercussions for both investigative journalism and the business practices of media platforms and publishers,” says Lou Paskalis, a leading ad tech expert and founder and CEO of AJL Advisory.

Designed as an unbiased assessment of content from publishers and platforms, Media Matters for America’s ratings help advertisers inform media planning and buying decisions. Paskalis says the nonprofit likely goes to great lengths to make sure its reports are factual, and argues that X’s lawsuit against the organization is “an attempt to silence legitimate criticism of X’s content moderation failures.”

This isn’t the first time X has attacked media trade groups. Over the summer, the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (Garm), a nonprofit coalition of industry stakeholders dedicated to improving digital safety and setting standards for brand safety, It was shut down after X filed an antitrust lawsuit against itself and its parent company, the World Federation of Advertisers..

Paskalis suggests that these cases could have a “potential chilling effect on investigative journalism” and efforts to hold platforms accountable for the content they host. “If Musk prevails,” he says, “it could embolden other companies to sue media ratings companies, ad fact-checking firms, and trade associations, potentially hindering essential reporting, review, and ultimately voluntary standard-setting….”

Neither X nor Media Matters for America immediately responded to requests for comment.

AXM’s Zaminasli, however, believes X has its work cut out for it. “Proving that Media Matters for America not only fabricated the allegations but also published the content in bad faith may be legally difficult to prove in court,” he says.

Co-founder Amann is happy that the agency will remain outside of X-Media Matters for America goals moving forward. “That was the impetus for change,” he says. “Rebranding is a journey and a process, and we felt it was perfect timing.”

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