01.26.08
Posted in Name Winners at 10:11 am by Athol
When I first saw a small headline that said Newegg offers techie gear, I reached for the article thinking I would learn about what happened to EggHead software. Of course, I had been living (as usual nowadays for an older techie) one or two steps behind the action curve, and didn’t know that Newegg is the hot online discount retailer for all things technical.
In the meantime, Egghead Software, one of the original retail software stores, has been absorbed into the Amazon mother ship (or jungle perhaps?).
So I think Newegg deserves an award because it is both interesting, positive, different, simple, and unique. It has great values, known roots and is also a great change from Fred Chang’s old company name ABS Computers.
Plus it is always a lot easier to create awareness about a new egg than an old set of initials… and dramatically illustrates why I always plead with companies to leave initials to the big old brands with lots of money.
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01.18.08
Posted in Future Names at 12:23 pm by Athol
In the January 9th Mercury News, Matt Marshall reported on PubMatic raising $7 million. Wow.. a lot of money for automated pubs I thought. Maybe that is what it takes to make beer vending machines secure so they can be in public places - as they are in Japan - but that is a culture that respects others properties. Oh the joys of the English language.. I wonder if they have even thought how this name might go down (pun intended) in England or the colonies.
As for music, and texting and bands, Web 2.0 style names are to be expected, so
Kadoink might grow healthily with their new Series A funding too. Can’t help but think that some of these names might be running to change them when the 2.0 boom is over, just like all those .com’s ran for cover when the dot bomb bust hit. Oink. Oink.
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01.11.08
Posted in Rotten Names at 10:41 am by Athol
Ever noticed how certain sounds or roots have very specific connotations, even when there is no specific linguistic reasoning behind them? Of course, this is usually because of association with some other better known word or name. While it is not a generally true statement, a lot of “ster” ending names stir up trouble.
It all started with the association with mobster I believe. At times, Teamster also had many bad overtones. So when Napster came along it just seemed like crookery to me from the start.. especially because it is almost Nabster. And then came Grokster. An awful name with awful connotations for modern electronic mobster shanningans.
So be careful if your new name ends in “ster” even if you are trying to imply you are a group of people trying to achieve something.
And if you are stupid enough to pay millions for a highly tainted brand name like Napster and try to make it legit - good luck to you. What are you buying? Sure the name awareness of many people.. but people that are aware it stands for free or stolen goods. It is a lot easier to introduce a new name to the proper cash paying public than to change the minds of hoards .. especially when they have satisfied their darkest desires on the old offerings. Unless of course your whole management team are all techies and don’t get consumer marketing.
We do notice that the cat nabber logo endures.. even though they are trying to make him a little friendlier, even though the design is very similar to the old 
devil face.
On a more positive note, perhaps Friendster will break the cycle here… although they sure have had their ups and downs and really only make money from their adult alternative lifestyle sites - which was surely not the original business plan.
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