The Knot Rebrands

It's come a long way, baby.

The Knot, which began as an online wedding brand in 1996 from business partners David Liu, Carley Roney, Rob Fassino, and Michael Wolfson, is rebranding as XO Group Inc., short for hugs and kisses, as it expands its franchise even further.

The premier destination for all things weddings, nesting and babies, is changing its common stock listing is to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) from Nasdaq, starting June 28 under the new trading symbol XOXO.

"The Knot recognized early on the future of Internet technology and today is one of the true innovators in the wedding and lifestyle space. We look forward to a successful partnership with the company and its stockholders," stated Duncan L. Niederauer, CEO, NYSE Euronext. 

The Knot received seed financing from AOL and launched as a portal in 1997, and the rest is a virtual matrimonial history of knot-tying as the brand grew to include WeddingChannel.com, The Nest and The Bump, overseeing major milestones in a woman’s life journey.

Next came an online gift registry in partnership with QVC, followed by a December 1999 IPO that raised $35 million.

Today, the brand's four major revenue categories include: online sponsorship and advertising, registry services, merchandise and publishing. 

The Knot Inc. CEO David Liu commented, "Our new company name - XO Group Inc. - will be the perfect umbrella for all of our brands in the wedding, nesting and baby lifestages served by our media, products and services.”

It’s a fitting homage to the very behavior that’s driven this brand’s huge success — hugs and kisses.