EBlog
Why do parents give their children such bad names?
November 8, 2007 | Posted by: Nicholas
Steve Tobak says that high tech companies sometimes don't do so well in the branding department. His evidence? Stupid names for spin-off companies. My favorite example is Intel's "Viiv."
Be sure to check out Steve's take on the state of high tech marketing as well. (He's equally dubious - and funny - about that.)
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Comments
November 09 2007 - 11:33 AM | by Marty
It was interesting when Nintendo dropped the codename “Revolution” from their new system - many felt with the new controller interface and their new gaming ideology that it was the perfect name for the console.
Nintendo felt “Revolution” was too rugged and really focused on the horsepower and technology of the hardware. They had different plans which spotlighted the synergy of interface and gaming, not the system running it.
They changed it to Wii. You, of course, know that. The change was an obvious success despite the whole industry panning the name change. At the outset, they called it childish, pointless, and confusing. What the heck is a Wii?
I think as time went on, it stuck. Not only did it stick, but it took on its own identity and meaning. Things now can be described as Wii-like - and people get what that connotates. Dropping “Revolution” was the smartest move Nintendo made in releasing this console.
Wii totally encapculates what the console is about - fun, gaming, and social interaction.
So, sometimes what seems like a bad name can be a great name in the end. Although Viiv really was the dumbest thing ever.
November 09 2007 - 01:44 PM | by Nicholas
I’ll admit that I was a doubter of the name “Wii” when I first heard it. You can’t argue with success, though; the Wii is outselling the Xbox 360 and the PS3, maybe despite its name (but probably not because of it). Maybe the lesson is that a superior product can sometimes overcome the handicap of having a bad or odd name.