Name Awards

Salquin to the Rescue – Great name, great kid’s book.

Yesterday I was bemoaning fact that very old people do not readily accept new, unusual or coined words. Today I have the joy of talking about a kid’s book that really continues to push the limits of names and characters – for both people and critters.

Before this book I had never heard of the Salquin native people of Canada, now I too love the word. Same as I learned about Chimona in the first book in the series and from whence the series gets its name: The Chimona Chronicles.

Believe me, if I had grand kids I would be reading this to them from my laptop. It is so much easier to read to your kids, or along with them, if there is some intelligence in the story so you don’t get too bored. After all, you know you are going to have to read it over and over if it is any good.

And in addition, this book comes with an associated series website (www.chimona.com) where you and the kids can investigate more of the names and terms. Even adults will not know them all unless you have travelled in the same areas as Rosie Reay, the author.

Yes, I am biased because I helped bring this book to market, but I only put the effort in because I thought it was worthwhile. With the added extra of a full length poem (a trademark of Rosie’s stories) and Candice McMullan’s great illustrations, I expect this book will be very popular for Xmas and many a family will be learning new names and places together, apart from unraveling the simple parallel plots in the story line.

In the meantime, you can get an early copy via download to your computer from www.FodenPress.com.

When is Gold no longer an appropriate part of the name?

The term Gold is often used as a descriptor of value in products and services, like the Gold Card, or Gold Program. This is similar also to the usages of diamond and platinum at times. But when you name your company Safari Gold because you really sell safari jewelry made in gold, and the gold price goes so high that you mostly  sell silver products, do you change your name to Safari Silver or do you stay with the old name?

Help me out here folks. As an investor in Safari Gold I am too close to the subject to know what is right or wrong.

Secondly, my giraffe friend here is always part of the image and branding of the company. What is the right name to give to such an icon that regularly appears? I am not crazy about giraffes, but so many people are fascinated by them (especially ladies) he gets to stay regardless.

Sky throwing their weight around at Skype

Sky TV in England have now sued Skype, claiming the name and trademark is confusingly similar and they have the consumer market research to prove it.  Wow. Years after the two brands have co-existed. Years after Skype has successfully filed for many trademarks. Sky obviously needed time to find the right morons to survey. And, coincidentally, waited until Skype filed for an IPO. Talk about being greedy. Why couldn’t Sky have sued them when eBay was the owner? Not big enough target?

Sky have always been aggressive about protecting their name, and with due respect, they have to be to protect such a common word. But this seems to me to be a classic case of trademark bullying that is not built on reality, but on opportunity. However, it should be taken as a lesson for all. When you are small and inconsequential they don’t come after you. But when you are fat and ripe and ready for fishing, the legal sharks arrive.

These are both great names, and I wish I knew how to create a big consumer forum to affect the trademark registration gods to come to their senses.

Vidyo is a street gutter name

It isn’t often a name of a successful high tech startup really gets under my skin, but this is one that does. Maybe it is because I don’t follow (or speak) rough rap style, nor with an Israeli or Eastern European accent, but these two syllables just don’t belong together.

Of course, I assumed from the outset that it was pronounced Vid Yo and not video, because they have a registered trademark and video is a generic word (and trademarks are filed phonetically) which cannot be trademarked.

Seems like their new tie in with H-P is just in time. Now H-P will be able to have more video surveillance of their executives and what they were really doing with their marketing contractors when they claim those big expense account charges.

Concrete company name or medical name?

If you didn’t know better, or if you knew old business names, you might think that Kaiser Permanente is a great name for a concrete company. And you wouldn’t be far off the mark, if you check the history of this name. They save the headache of its length by having KP.org as their website.

But actually it is the name of one of the few (and certainly the largest) full service medical aid companies in the country. The big strong name is now used to compete with Blue Cross, Blue Shield and numerous other medical insurance groups across California, the difference being Kaiser has their own hospitals, clinics, labs, pharmacies and doctors, all connected with full electronic patient records.

I recently moved hundreds of miles, yet I can order my prescriptions online, see all the history of my lab tests for years, and my new doctor in a different Kaiser has all my history on his computer too. This is how medical should be done in the USA. Only big pity is that at my age it costs me more than my rent!

Regardless, names come from many sources. Why doesn’t your company post a little story online about its name origin?