The Pros and Cons of Ice Cream Sandwich
Typically our clients use an intentionally obscure project name to avoid internal rallying around the code name. Google seemed to embrace the methodology of marketing the code name, and has built an entire strategy out of the process. Enter Ice Cream Sandwich.
While I'm all for food references and love the imagery evoked by this new OS, the overall code naming strategy strikes me as an unsustainable practice.
Pros
- It's Google
- The order/lineage is easy to understand ... version C came before version D, etc.
- Desserts are fun and have an approachable personality
- It's Google
Cons
- Code names should be code names. If a company puts more marketing efforts into their code name, do they build any equity into the actual product name?
- What is the strategy if there isn't a recognizable dessert name that starts with the next letter in line for an upcoming version?
- As a namer, I wanted to ask about the story behind Ice Cream Sandwich; uncovering that it's simply the next in line from an initial letter standpoint wasn't enough for me. Cupcake is cute; short and sweet. Honeycomb referenced the structure behind the technology (and while I don't classify it as a dessert, I get that it's a sweet). Ice Cream Sandwich (intentionally missing the grammatically correct article preceding it) is designed to serve as 'one OS everywhere' but the name isn't reflective of that messaging.
Personally, I would have preferred 'Icing' as the next in line. It's one word, is typically referred to as the 'best part of the cake', and evokes a premium quality. Can't wait to see what they do with J.
Arizona Boycotters Impact a New York Tea
......................................................................................................................................................................
AriZona Iced Tea is suffering the consequences of sharing a name with the southwestern state as people upset by Arizona's new irrigation law boycott the state as well as businesses based there. The ironic thing is that AriZona Beverage Company was founded in 1992 in Brooklyn, New York and maintains all operations in this northeastern state. I suppose the founders may now wish they had put a little more strategy behind their name generation instead of merely taking cues from their home decor.
Contributed by Allison Jobes
Really Reality?
......................................................................................................................................................................
Just flipping on your TV will open your eyes to the plethora of Reality TV Series on our stations these days... but just how real are these shows? According to a recent study, the average sized woman in the United States is approximately 160 pounds and wears size 14 clothing. Last time I checked, you don’t see these average women on TV. Nope, these “reality” TV series are cluttered with women who are all about a size 2…on a “fat” day. In an effort to put the ‘reality’ back into reality TV some television stations have taken a new approach to these reality series. Shows are now receiving names such as Dance Your Ass Off, More to Love, and The Biggest Loser. These television series aim to show the lives of real people, not size 0 or size 2 celebrities.
Read more
Palm says no to "O"
Just when you thought you had the latest and greatest Smart Phone on the market, along came the new >Palm pre. Available exclusively to Sprint customers (for now), the pre is Palm’s answer to the iphone. The phone rocks a 3.1 inch touch screen, WiFi and 3G connectivity, web browsing, Microsoft Outlook access, GPS, camera, and a QWERTY keyboard that slides beneath the screen—optimal for serious texters looking to avoid the error filled messages spit out by the combination of big fingers and small touch screens. Former iphone owners say the best thing about the pre is the ability to run multiple applications at one time.
But most unique to the pre, perhaps, is the name itself. Palm’s current handset lineup includes the centro, treo and treo pro. The “-o” on the end of each name seems to be an intentional nomenclature strategy. So did Palm ditch the “-o” for good? Probably not. My guess is they went with a standout name for a standout model. The meaning of the word “pre” offers a lot of creative potential in terms of concepts that are relatively transparent. Whereas preo sounds more like a car, and maybe does not differentiate the new phone quite as effectively from its predecessors. So no hard feelings, "O", I'm sure it's only temporary.
Contributed by Laine Beyerl
A Brand New World
......................................................................................................................................................................
Out with the old, in with the new.
In order to keep up with our fast-paced marketplace, companies, products, and services are constantly exploring fresh ideas and new identities. Many of these rebranding efforts result from a number of needs including, but not limited to: ridding a company of negative connotations, entering a product into a new market segment, merging companies, or simple updating. Many notable entities have succeeded in rebranding efforts focused on the company itself (utilizing new logos, mottos, taglines, names, etc.), and have retained unwavering brand loyalty. And now, to turn the spotlight on one such company …
Coca-Cola. This exemplary brand has undergone a makeover to add a fresh new twist to their bottles and cans. Coke cans and Sprite cans are now donning new looks with clean and fresh features. Not to say the old cans were in desperate need of a change, but it is nice to keep consumers on their toes in order to truly appreciate the value of the brands they patronize.
On the Coke Classic can, the excess clutter of bubbles, stripe of yellow, and plentiful swirls have been eliminated to allow full attention to be focused on the red and white logo of Coca-Cola. In my opinion, this rebranding effort was a brilliant move for such an iconic company. Coca-Cola has established itself as a powerful brand and has earned its claim in the soft drink industry. This rebranding effort acknowledges the bold, confident, and trusted name of Coca-Cola that so many people worldwide know and love.
Sprite, a Coca-Cola product, has also received a can makeover. The new cans appear to be somewhat edgy and revolutionized. The colors are vibrant, edges are jagged, and logo is somewhat futuristic. The same basic color schemes and font have been incorporated into this updated new look. This rebranding effort reveals careful positioning and planning on behalf of Coca-Cola. With all the new soft drink variations entering the industry, something had to be done in order to keep Sprite on the leader board. The new look connects with the target market using a fresh, inventive, and confident approach.
These two examples of rebranding show the important impacts of staying one step ahead of the industry. With more creativity than ever before, companies are constantly competing for top-of-mind awareness amongst consumers. Researching, experimenting, updating, reinventing, and connecting; these terms are becoming the common vernacular of today’s companies.
As the saying goes, the only constant in the universe is change.
Don’t get left behind.
Contributed by Carrie Friedrich
Ballantyne Turnaround
Remember the phrase, “If you’ve got it, flaunt it?”
Not anymore. Just yards away from our Charlotte location you can find yet another example of business responding to Americans' new appreciation of frugality.
The Ballantyne Resort (owned by Bissell Family of Companies, which developed our Charlotte home, the Ballantyne Corporate Park) has changed its name to The Ballantyne Hotel and Lodge. The transition has been taking place over the past two months.
For those not familiar with the area, the Ballantyne neighborhood has become a who's who of Charlotte's corporate and social elite, and the Resort is one of the best places to meet, golf, and stay in the area.
According to an article in the Charlotte Observer, “The luxury meeting place and golf course has officially changed its name to The Ballantyne Hotel and Lodge after hearing from corporate customers who said the term “resort” carried too much of a high-dollar stigma in today's economic and political climate.”
And who can blame them? After public and congressional backlash from recent corporate retreat /Read more
Infomercial Brands: KABOOM!
I’m a sucker for an onomatopoeia –and KABOOM! packs quite a punch. This high powered bathroom cleaner (and ancillary products such as Bowl Blaster) uses aggressive naming to let consumers know this product is ready to show your bathroom who’s boss. The only thing that will get your tub, toilet and tile cleaner than KABOOM! is a vat of sulfuric acid and a wrecking ball.
And while I appreciate that some people may not want such explosive imagery around their toilet bowl, you have to admit, the name KABOOM! paints quite a picture when it comes to total soap scum and mildew obliteration. Plus, how much fun does Billy Mays appear to be having each time he says the products name? I want to buy the product simply so that I can yell KABOOM! with every pull of the plastic nozzle trigger.
So whether you appreciate the name, or it just makes you laugh, it’s certainly memorable. I’m glad to see that Church & Dwight is willing to use a name that can stand out from the sea of ho-hum descriptive cleaner brands on the shelves today.
Contributed by: Maghan Cook