« Product Naming Jackpot: The 2007 CES in Las Vegas | Main | Brand Naming: AT&T Kills Cingular, Net Neutrality »
January 04, 2007
Product Names at the CES: Mishmash vs Coined Names
I have been watching the news from the 40th CES in Las Vegas and reading about the incredible electronics gear that will be launched once the show starts Jan 8th.
And I cannot help but notice that electronics product names seem to fall into two camps: either mishmashes, or portmanteaus, of two words (FinePix, Streamload, Netstairs) or else one irreverent, neologism, or created word (Jadoo, Athentec.)
Fujifilm gets the award today for most mishmashed product name at CES thus far with its Fujifilm FinePix BIGJOB Digital Camera with the Streamload MediaMax following a close second.
It's difficult to decide which is better, although my gut feeling is that mishmashed names seem more dated and awkward than standalone, created names like Jangl (which, by the way, Gizmodo says is a tool that "lets you share phone numbers without sharing phone numbers"). Perhaps this signifies the same sort of shift to coined names that has happened with search engine naming.
I do think, however, that a witty company name like Let It Wave engenders more curiosity on my part than a name like Streamload. Neither name directly says what the company does, but one makes me want to visit the booth more.
Technorati Tags: CES, Consumer Electronics, FinePix, Streamload MediaMax, Netstairs, Jadoo, Athentec, Jangl, Let It Wave
Posted by William Lozito at January 4, 2007 08:09 AM
Posted to Brand Naming
| Branding
| Company Naming
| Consumer Electronics
| Linguistics
| Marketing
| Media and Entertainment
| Naming
| Product Naming
| Retail
| Technology
| Telecommunications
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.namedevelopment.com/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/3674
Comments
Great posts (this one and yesterday's)! One small correction: "Jadoo" isn't meaningless; it means "magic" in Urdu.
Posted by: Nancy Friedman at January 4, 2007 11:09 AM
I like the idea of Jangl. I guess using the word "jingle" for a phone call is a bit archaic, so "jangle" (as in, "I've got spurs that jingle jangle jingle as I go riding merrily along") is sort of cute.
However, I've been tired of the Web 2.0 dropped-vowel naming convention for what feels like longer than Web 2.0 has been around, so I guess I'd have preferred simply naming in "Jangle".
Posted by: Robert Gladstein ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.namedevelopment.com/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
at January 4, 2007 12:55 PM
Wow Nancy... That's a nice bit of knowledge to have. I have trouble remembering what the word for magic in *English* is on some days.
And William... Where's my radio-button for "it depends..." I want to cast my vote for that one.
And Robert... Amen to your Web 2.0 tiredness. I have a t-shirt being released on my site soon that will make you quite happy.
Posted by: Tate Linden at January 5, 2007 11:32 AM