MapQuest is such a joke!
MapQuest is suddenly back near the top of the app charts, and President Donald Trump’s controversial “Lake America” name change appears to have helped put the longtime navigation company back in the national spotlight.
The veteran mapping service surged to the No. 1 position on Apple’s free app chart this week after declining to follow Apple Maps and Google Maps in replacing the familiar Lake Ontario name with “Lake America.”
As of Wednesday morning, MapQuest occupied the top spot on Apple’s chart, ahead of ChatGPT.
For Americans who remember printing out MapQuest directions before smartphones became commonplace, the company’s unexpected return to prominence is a remarkable development.
And MapQuest is making the most of the attention.
MapQuest Takes Different Approach From Apple And Google
The controversy began after Trump announced that Lake Ontario would be renamed “Lake America” amid growing tensions between the United States and Canada.
Apple Maps and Google Maps subsequently reflected the new designation.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Trump personally contacted Apple as the administration pushed for the new name to appear on its mapping service.
MapQuest went in a different direction.
Rather than immediately replacing Lake Ontario, the company continued using the geographic name familiar to generations of Americans and Canadians.
The decision quickly attracted attention online — and apparently plenty of new users.
MapQuest also climbed to No. 8 on Google Play’s free app rankings.
For a navigation service that has spent years competing against technology giants such as Apple and Google, the controversy provided a major burst of publicity.
MapQuest Seizes Its Moment
MapQuest General Manager Doug Berger said the company adopted an approach similar to the one it previously used following Trump’s “Gulf of America” name change.
Berger said MapQuest wanted to participate in the national conversation while continuing to provide users with names they already recognized.
According to Berger, hundreds of thousands of people downloaded the app over the weekend.
The company didn’t stop there.
MapQuest also launched an online name generator allowing users to suggest their own alternatives for Lake Ontario, turning the political controversy into a marketing opportunity.
It was a savvy move for a company whose name may bring back memories for millions of older Americans.
Long before drivers routinely relied on smartphones for turn-by-turn navigation, MapQuest was one of the best-known mapping services on the Internet. Many motorists printed pages of MapQuest directions before getting behind the wheel.
Now the company is getting another moment in the spotlight.
Trump’s Canada Trade Fight Is Bigger Than A Name
The debate over Lake America comes against the backdrop of a much more consequential dispute between the United States and Canada.
Trump has proposed additional tariffs against Canada following the breakdown of trade negotiations between the two countries.
Canadian officials, meanwhile, have threatened retaliatory tariffs against American goods.
Trump argues that the United States has been treated unfairly by Canada for years, particularly when it comes to trade and defense.
After signing the Lake America order, Trump again accused Canada of taking advantage of the United States economically.
Trump said Canada has been taking advantage of the United States on trade for years.
He also argued that the United States bears an unfair share of Canada’s defense burden.
The administration has portrayed its tougher approach as part of Trump’s broader effort to secure better deals for American workers, manufacturers and taxpayers.
Poll Finds Opposition To Lake America Change
The Lake America proposal has generated substantial attention, but polling cited in reports indicates that most Americans surveyed aren’t embracing the new name.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 14% supported the change, compared with 63% who opposed it. Another 23% did not express an opinion.
The same survey found that 57% disapproved of Trump’s tariffs involving Canada, while 20% supported them.
Those numbers show that even some Americans who may support Trump on other issues aren’t necessarily on board with every element of his approach toward Canada.
Still, the administration has continued arguing that confronting longstanding trade disputes is necessary to protect American economic interests.
MapQuest Gets An Unexpected Comeback
The biggest immediate winner from the naming controversy may be neither Trump nor his political opponents.
It may be MapQuest.
A company associated by many Americans with the earlier days of the Internet has suddenly found itself competing for attention with some of today’s biggest technology platforms.
MapQuest’s decision to stick with the familiar Lake Ontario name gave consumers another reason to talk about the company — and apparently another reason to download its app.
Whether the surge lasts is another question.
App rankings can change quickly, and a burst of downloads generated by a national controversy doesn’t necessarily translate into sustained growth.
But MapQuest has already accomplished something valuable: It reminded millions of Americans that it’s still around.
And after years of living in the shadow of Apple Maps and Google Maps, MapQuest has turned Trump’s Lake America controversy into an unexpected opportunity to become relevant again.
