Name Awards

Will Apt get Amped?

At the last minute almost, Yahoo was forced to change the name of their new ad serving platform from Amp because of trademark issues. Surprise! Once again, engineering and marketing going charging off with great cool names without doing the most basic of checks. Sigh… not sure when marketing will learn it is their responsibilty to create, check and promote trademark intellectual property rights. And if a short, cool, existing word sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Yahoo Apt Logo

People have been naming software and services for over 50 years… and there are only so many words in the dictionary. So now they are running with what we are guessing is an abbreviation for Ad Platform Technology (or something else just as unimaginative). And from now on forward their marketing has to jump through hoops to explain it is not just apartment advertising. And not apartment advertising modified to serve all of us (I hope).

Even their own search engine, even when you put Yahoo in front of it, pulls up apartment ads right of way as well. Really…what is this going to cost them in time and money from here on out? How much are they saving by not getting professional naming help?

AIG is aging

Isn’t it a pity the Feds bailed out AIG before they could merge with ING. Then they could have changed their name to Aging…  which they are both doing fast.

Cor blimey mate Avego!

It might be short and sweet and descriptive, but sure sounds like “Have a go” to us. Notice how they have to use color in the logo to make up for phonetics issues. Ok for a streetside or portable game (or exhortation), but for a real application with real potential for consumer transportation, it sure is awkward and hard.