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May 14, 2009

Bicycle Product Naming: Would You Ride a Bixi?

I am intrigued by Bixi, the name given to the no-nonsense, practically indestructible bikes that are being offered to citizens of Montreal as an environmentally friendly way to get around.

Bixi has already been named by TIME to be one of the year's 50 best innovations, which may not have happened if Bixi hadn't replaced "Public Bike Sharing System" or PBS.

The name itself is a combination of "bicycle" and "taxi" and the web site proclaims "We are Bixi," prompting the citizens of Montreal to take ownership of the brand.

An annual membership to use one of the 3,000 bicycles available at 300 locations throughout the city is just $78, or citizens can choose to pay the daily rate of $5.

Although, the really interesting twist in the story, at least from a naming and branding perspective, is that this initiative is overshadowed by the Paris Vélib bicycle program of 2007. The Paris Vélib bicycle program has been beset with problems, one being major damage inflicted on the bikes by joy riders.

The name Vélib is another portmanteau, a contraction of velo (cycle) and liberte (freedom). Unfortunately, people have most certainly abused their "freedom" to use the bikes, going so far as to post YouTube videos of "velib extreme" stunts that always end up with the bikes demolished.

Bixi might have an advantage here, as the bikes have GPS chips in them and people have to swipe a credit card before using them.

However, Bixi's success may not be a forgone conclusion.

Bixi was recently outed for creating a false hype about the program through faux blog posts and Facebook pages, which has led to some questions about the authenticity of the brand name.

Technorati Tags: Bixi, Bixi Bikes, Bike Brand Names, Bicycle Product Naming, Montreal Bikes

Posted by William Lozito at May 14, 2009 8:39 AM
Posted to Brand Naming | Branding | Industry | Naming | Product Naming | Sports and Recreation

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