Twitter’s new look for brand accounts, which includes gold check marks and square profile pictures, is causing some confusion among Twitter’s power users, especially since the update has only appeared on the accounts of some marketers. For instance, Slim Jim’s Twitter account has a new gold check mark, while brands like Cinnabon and Steak-umm maintain the older blue check marks with the standard round profile pics.
Meanwhile, there has been little official communication from Twitter to brands about how the new verification system works and who gets to participate, according to a top ad agency exec who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Most brands did not even ask for the new gold check mark, this exec said. “The communication we got was just the standard language that gold checks are applied to 'Twitter Blue for Business' accounts,” the exec said. “I don't think any of our clients are actually subscribed to that, so it appears they have just applied the gold check to any accounts that have been advertisers historically.”