Name Awards

Putting DeCarta on the map

Now I am not saying that a name change guarantees you new funding, but you have to admit that the investors who put up a C round funding of $15million for deCarta probably found the decision a little easier now that the company is called DeCarta. Especially because it comes on top of earlier rounds of $23million.. not bad for a company providing the mapping infrastructure for location based applications (as so many on the web are).

Congratulations to Bill Schwegler and his team for finally giving up on the old Telcontar name. I am sure it meant something to you.. but now this new name is so much more appropriate, even though it has enough uniqueness to protect properly. While the public might never understand what you do, I am sure the mapping geeks of the web really appreciate your services. Your name will stick in their mind (and code) forever. And now they know you have the financial might to be around long term too.

At last, shoppers get Lucky again.

First we had Lucky Stores, then they got taken over by Albertson’s and all of Northern California growned… but eventually we had to eat so many of us still shopped there. Then some of these stores became SaveMart.. and no one noticed or cared.. and we weren’t about to go into such a lower class chain with a very old style pedantic name.

Finally.. someone with money and branding brains shows up, and now eight stores a week are going back to the future. And the Lucky store brand will be seen again. Welcome back.. a name and a brand we loved passionately returns. A brand that had grown to have some personality.

But does name recycling work? Yes, in particular if it fixes an error. NCR became a successful high tech company again after escaping the grips of the awful AT&T GIS systems moniker. Nation Wide bank took over Bank of American and wisely didn’t enforce the name of the conqueror. When the acquired company has a better name, why not capitalize on it?

P.S. Of course, the big name out here in supermarkets is Safeway and they are busy expanding into the restaurant business, with the awfully named Citrine bistros. Ouch. See the name critic’s review of this name.

Nugarc and Enienay – Yuck

Over the weekend I heard of two rotten new names that are not even worthy of a full analysis in my name critic column, but I offer them up here so you don’t make the same mistakes. In fact, can you even pronounce the names, let alone guess what field they might be in without reading further?

Firstly, Nugarc.com aspires to be the next Craig’s List, that magical internet village marketplace site. The business intentions may be great… but what do I tell my friends? Go to Nug Arc or Noo Garc or Nugar C … .. This name is trying too hard to be Craig Newton backwards – I think. Instead it deserves a four bombs award.

Now Enienay is shorthand for N.I.N.A. Wow. OK. May even work for this young designer clothing brand… but any nay is how I would have pronounced it. And is any nay as good as a definite nay, says the naysayer?

Alinghi is a lot more than a dinghy

In the closest racing in decades, Alinghi successfully defended the biggest (and oldest) trophy in yacht racing during this past week. Their large sponsorship base and successful marketing helped raise significant funds of course, as did all the teams. But how much easier was it for them when they have such a powerful shorthand name and logo for their endeavor. Sure is a lot easier to call and represent Alinghi than Team Emirates New Zealand.

But what is an Alinghi? And where does the name come from? I instinctively love the name, but know it would have been a hard sell to management (at least this side of the pond). I can just imagine their criticism of the spelling and pronunciation.. as some wise cat also tells me it reminds them of a dinghy… and that is not the image they want to project.
When I find out more, I will surely put on my name critic hat and do a full analysis.. but you already know it is going to get a great rating.

Meanwhile, if for no other reason than to see one of the finest international websites anywhere, visit www.alinghi.com. It is truly beautiful to see (and right up to date the day after the final race) even if you are not fond of water, waves, wind and sails.

Arsene coaches Arsenal

Every time I watch “the gunners” play soccer, it fascinates me that Arsenal, one of the big major clubs of Europe, have a long time coach with the first name Arsene. Talk about being made for each other. Such naming coincidences are very rare in nature, yet very common in product and company naming.

Of course my software name checkers wouldn’t like any of these names, since they both have “arse” in them, the very English pronunciation for your rear-end! Luckily, we have humans running the asylym.. I hope.