September 25, 2008
Has the T-Mobile G1 Brand Name Become a Nightmare?
As you probably already know, the T-Mobile G1 smartphone started out with the code name the Dream.
Seems like the G1 dream has become more of a nightmare in terms of product naming.
The concerns I raised about the G1 name in my earlier post have intensified. It turns out that T-Mobile's new phone limited the bandwidth to 1-GB of data per month.
I then thought to myself, gee, might it be called the G1 because of the 1-GB limit? Maybe so, maybe not, but T-Mobile has rescinded the 1-GB limit, so I wonder if they will now call this phone the G1 Unlimited or the G1 Plus.
It is probably very unlikely that the G1 referred to the 1-GB limit, but I'm also reminded of another reason G1 is such a poor name. The G1 phone runs on the G3 network, which only adds to the aforementioned confusion.
At the risk of sounding self-serving, and I don't mean to be, my guess is that the G1 name was lobbied for by the T-Mobile engineers who worked on it.
Technorati Tags: G1, T-Mobile G1, 1-GB, Product Naming, G3 Network, Google, Dream Phone
Posted by William Lozito at 5:15 PM
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Will Apple's Brick Product Code Naming be a Smash Hit?
The award for the clumsiest product code name goes to Apple this week for its secret something that the blogosphere is now gleefully referring to as "Brick."
The "Brick" is designed to, you guessed it, smash Windows with its sheer Appleness.
Many bloggers are wondering what the "Brick" is, but it is most likely just software updates. Although there are rumors that it might be a new Mac Mini or a new dock (these would actually look like bricks, I suppose).
The funny thing is that the word "brick" does not carry positive connotations in relation to technology. "Bricks" are usually useless devices, such as clunky cell phones or slow computers. The word "brick" is also a slang term for "bummer," like, "That movie had a brick of an ending." So "brick" would be a less than ideal code name for a new MacBook, for instance.
Even more tantalizing, giving the current economic climate, is that the "Brick" is simply a large price reduction for MacBooks. This would indeed throw a real brick at Windows.
The Brick gets unveiled on October 14th (we think), so be sure to keep an eye out to see if lives up to its name, or doesn't.
Technorati Tags: Brick, Apple, Windows, Code Naming, MacBook, Software, Product Naming, Naming
Posted by William Lozito at 8:03 AM
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September 24, 2008
What do you think of the T-Mobile G1 brand naming?
The new Google phone is out and it has been named the "G1." Well, let me be more precise.
This is a Google-powered phone sold by T-Mobile USA that uses the vaunted Android operating system. It's official name is actually the "T-Mobile G1" leading one blogger to ask "G1, Gphone, Tphone - what will you call your Google phone?"
To confuse matters even further, HTC, the Taiwan based manufacturer of the phone, code-named it the Dream. I've rarely seen a technology device referred to by so many names.
When I first saw the term G1, I immediately thought that this must be for an old product. Why?
I was immediately reminded of:
- Apple's G-Series of Towers which ended in the discontinued G5
- Then there is the Pontiac G5 and G6
- Oh, did I mention that ASUS has a G1 and G2 laptop
- Finally, maybe this is a little bit of a stretch, but I was also reminded of the George Foreman G5 grill
While I agree with New Gadgets and Gizmos that the T-Mobile G1 Phone is not an iPhone killer, I strongly disagree with the assertion that iPhone will become a genericized brand, like Kleenex, Xerox and Band-Aids.
Just as Apple tightly controls third party developer software for the iPhone, it has a track record of vigorously defending its brand trademarks.
Technorati Tags: G1, T-Mobile G1, iPhone, Google, Pontiac, George Foreman, Computers, Cell Phones, Android
Posted by William Lozito at 8:06 AM
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June 11, 2008
Announcing the New Zikula Global Product Name and Logo
The PostNuke Software Foundation, a nonprofit, contacted us to develop a new global brand name.
Although the PostNuke name served its purpose, it had a few shortcomings. The name was confusing and did not meet the organization’s vision for the future of its software.
Taken on as a pro bono assignment, the new name had to be available as a “.com” domain name and had to be pronounceable for speakers of major world languages due to the organization’s global scope.
As you may be aware, it is no surprise to let you know that virtually all one, two, three, four, five, and six letter combinations have already been registered as a “.com” domain or are pure gibberish.
Zikula, the new brand name and logo, was created from several Zulu words, one of the official languages of South Africa, where “Zila ukudla” means fast and “Lula” means easy, which are the main attributes of the software.
Plus, Zikula is perfectly balanced due to the multiple consonant-vowel combinations, which makes a word easier to pronounce.
Vanessa Haakenson, President of Zikula Software Foundation said, “We are thrilled with the outcome of the name and logo development process that Strategic Name Development partnered with us on to create the Zikula name. The name is fun, unusual, lighthearted, memorable, and consistent with the genre of Web 2.0 names.”
Technorati Tags: Zikula, PostNuke, Global Name, Domain Name, Software, Web 2.0, Zulu, World Languages, Nonprofit, Zikula Software Foundation, New Brand
Posted by William Lozito at 9:48 AM
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June 10, 2008
Does Snow Leopard and 3G iPhone Take Apple Product Naming to a New Level?
The World Wide Developers Conference yesterday, appeared to be a good day for Apple, and was especially interesting from a product naming point of view.
To begin with, Mobile Me is now a reality, as I blogged about a few days ago. The less than suitable .Mac is soon to be a thing of the past, thanks in part to the new, less expensive and faster 3G iPhone.
The official name for this smartphone is the iPhone 3G, which is headed to stores on July 11. This ends days of frustration on the blogosphere, when many were wondering if it would be called the 2G, 3G or 2.0. The Crave blog attributes the confusion over what the name would be to the fact that “Apple products are effectively named by the community.“
Crave's blog post was proven right when Steve Jobs seemed to play with the name on stage, referring to it as both the iPhone 2.0, as well as the 3G iPhone.
Now, we understand its official name is the 3G iPhone and if you're interested, you can review the patent.
The next Apple OS X, meanwhile, was unveiled as Snow Leopard, which essentially is just a security and performance update for Leopard.
Some bloggers, quite a few bloggers actually, seem to agree that it’s not the greatest name, mainly because you sound a little funny explaining to people that your computer’s “running snow leopard.” One blogger even wonders if Apple is just running out of cat names to use.
On the other hand, it could be argued that giving product naming to a service pack like this is a nice touch that supports the Leopard name.
Personally, the name Snow Leopard reminds me of Hemingway’s Snows of the Kilimanjaro:
Kilimanjaro is a snow covered mountain 19,710 feet high, and it is said to be the biggest mountain in Africa. Its western summit is called the Masai "Ngáje Ngái," the House of God. Close to the western summit there is the dried and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude.
One thing is for sure. The Apple OS X and the iPhone has pushed the company to a whole new altitude.
Technorati Tags: Apple, 3G iPhone, Snow Leopard, Mobile Me, Steve Jobs, OS X, Product Naming
Posted by William Lozito at 9:07 AM
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June 6, 2008
Can Infogrames' Company Name Change Save The Atari Brand Name?
There is nothing like a good company naming challenge, but I think that a company called Infogrames has set what might seem like an impossible goal for itself by striving to rehabilitate the Atari name. Yes, Atari.
They bought the name for $11 million and are pumping even more cash into it in an attempt to make it their own.
This is a name that has taken quite a beating over the years, including a Nasdaq delisting a month ago, and has become a name that some simply feel is cursed.
Atari’s history is incredibly complex, but each strand of the story always ends in disaster. Nevertheless, CEO David Gardner feels that the Atari name is still recognizable to anyone who has ever played a video game and that the name will communicate that his company is the “best-funded, best-branded, most energetic start-up in the history of computer gaming.”
One of the reasons that the Atari name lives on is because of its interesting origins. Atari comes to us from the ancient game of Go and is used in a similar manner to check in chess. Being “in atari” means that you are about to lose a game piece unless you move quickly.
There is no doubt that this ancient name, with its roots in ancient gaming, is, at least in heart, a winner.
I can hear the howls of laughter out there already in the blogosphere.
Yes, this is the same company that gave us some of the weirdest games ever, including the Joyboard and the little known Atari Puffer as well as a whole slew of others that are still only known in the world of retro-gaming.
But interestingly, when Infogrames was looking for a new name, they went to Google and discovered that all the good names they came up with were taken, a lament that I am not unfamiliar with. Infogrames apparently then decided to take on the brand name that they already had, Atari, a name with instant worldwide recognition.
Can the Atari name actually make a comeback? I’m going to say yes, but some very big changes have to be made if Infogrames wants to avoid the Atari Curse.
Blake Snow has some good pointers on the Next Generation that I think should be read very carefully.
The first is that the the various manifestations of the Atari naming have to be combined into one entity. Right now we have Atari Interactive, Atari Corporation, Atari Games and Infogrames' recent purchase. This all must be turned into Atari, Inc.
If this is done, the next step is an obvious one, Atari, Inc. needs to create great products that everybody wants. By great products, I mean revolutionary. Offering us a consolidated, recognizable name behind a really cool must have product would immediately wash away Atari’s history of failure in the minds of the consumer.
Anyone who has ever bought an iPod knows exactly what I am talking about.
Technorati Tags: Atari, Infogrames, Company Name Change, Gaming, Video Games, Joyboard, Atari Puffer
Posted by William Lozito at 8:40 AM
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June 4, 2008
Apple Tech Brand Naming: Mobile Me, You Complete Me
I’m starting to believe the rumors that the Me.com domain name has been bought by Apple, who reportedly also bought Mobileme.com.
It seems as if the .Mac service is going to be rebranded as Mobile Me, leading Apple into a whole new world of connectivity and web dominance.
I dug into the trademark database and discovered that Apple has been working to gain a trademark for Mobile Me in the United States. Currently, they have an international mark, but the federal mark for the United States is still pending in various class codes.
Make no mistake about it, Apple is all about mobility and the Mobile Me name would fit well with the new iPhone 2.0 that is coming out soon, as well as the various iPods and the Mac Air. There is no doubt that Apple is positioning itself as the brand name of choice for the tech on the go.
To this end, Mac has been buying up .Me domain names with a focus on verbs such as fly.me or drive.me. Some users are not really happy with the Mobile Me name, but I think it fits.
.Mac puts the entire focus of it’s online presence on the Mac rather than on the mobile wizardry that has rescued the company from extinction, but Mobile Me's appearance coincides well with the upcoming iPhone 2.0 announcement.
Apple will be seamlessly covering four areas: computing, digital audio, portable consumer electronics and a huge amount of web based activity. It brings the balkanized and expensive .Mac concept into Apple’s center stage.
If—and it is a very big if—Apple succeeds here, it will be bringing Internet connectivity into a whole new stratosphere, allowing people to use their new iPhones like desktop computers and to easily hop on and off the Web to publish and update web pages with pictures, music, design, you name it.
What really makes me curious, however, is exactly what this will do to the signature nomeclature “i” g that Apple started a decade ago with iPod.
The “i” is so tied up with the Apple brand that it is difficult to imagine “me” fitting into Apple's product naming strategy. Although, I do think that the two names will stand up well in the marketplace.
I would be happy to use an iPhone to connect to Mobile Me or use Mobile Me to track back to my iMac via my iPhone.
Technorati Tags: Mac, Apple, Mobile Me, iPhone 2.0, iPod, Domain Names, Me.com
Posted by William Lozito at 10:00 AM
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