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MapQuest announced last week it had soared to the top of Apple’s App Store navigation rankings following its decision to keep the former name of Lake America, Lake Ontario, on its maps.
Hundreds of thousands of people downloaded the app after it reaffirmed it would continue using the historical names for lakes and gulfs, driving usage to roughly 50 times its normal level, according to MapQuest.
The company said it was the No. 1 navigation app and the No. 8 free app overall in the U.S. Apple App Store as of 7 p.m. PDT on Aug. 30. It also climbed to No. 2 among all free apps in Canada.
“We took the same approach we did with the Gulf of Mexico: be part of the conversation, and give people an app that keeps the names they’re familiar with,” Doug Berger, general manager of MapQuest, said in a statement.
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“Hundreds of thousands of people signaled to us this weekend that we got it right, by downloading our app,” Berger added.
The surge came after President Donald Trump ordered the body of water be renamed “Lake America.”
While Google Maps and Apple Maps adopted the change for U.S. users, MapQuest said it would continue displaying Lake Ontario, mirroring its earlier decision not to replace “Gulf of Mexico” with “Gulf of America.”
The company also expanded a feature allowing users to rename Lake Ontario within the app themselves, building on a tool it first launched for the Gulf of Mexico in February 2025.
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Eric Yaverbaum, CEO of public relations firm Ericho Communications, told FOX Business the company capitalized on a cultural moment closely tied to its business.
“What worked for them was they didn’t force this,” Yaverbaum said. “They’re an expert at one thing: maps. They get to weigh in on one thing: maps.”
Yaverbaum said the viral attention presents MapQuest with an opportunity to revive its brand and reconnect with consumers.
“You want to have a redo on your brand, you want to do a rebrand — boy, did they just open a big door,” he said.
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However, Yaverbaum cautioned that companies should be careful when wading into political issues.
“Generally speaking, I counsel my clients to stay out of politics. You’re going to lose half your audience. So if you’re going to play, play safely,” he said.
Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 27 directing the Interior Department to officially rename Lake Ontario “Lake America” within the United States, amid ongoing trade tensions between Washington and Ottawa.
MapQuest could not immediately be reached by FOX Business for comment.
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