According to Alyce Cornyn Selby’s book: I’m Going to Change My Name and Move Away – damned near everything. Your name is the only thing you truly own.
Some of my favorite company names are the unusual ones. Umpqua Bank and IKEA come to mind. Umpqua because it means something – IKEA cuz it means something too – cheap stuff for your home! We hit the local IKEA store hard recently. We moved back to the Northwest from New York and isn’t funny how you always need new stuff when you move? Anyway – as a double bonus this IKEA is in Portland, Oregon the land of no sales tax. We were drunk with purchasing power.
The first thing I had to have were three DIMPAs at $1.50 each. I loved my FRAKTA and these were perfect for groceries. We considered buying the VEJMON and a BESTA but when we got to the warehouse the price was different (more) than the display for the first and parts were missing on the second.
Mark would have none of it. And that’s when he got agitated and started making up meanings.
He’s pretty sure that VEJMON is code for sucker! and BESTA is Swedish slang for crap! But when he called my RATIONELL VARIERA a feces strainer, I about lost it.
Advertising agencies and their clients agonize over naming a product. I’ve been pretty outspoken about some of the name changes in credit union land. Some of them feel – well IKEA-ish – like they were pulled right out of someone’s SKRAPA.
Gnome sayin?
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November 11, 2009 at 8:56 am
Jeffry Pilcher
Are you saying you like coined names like IKEA, or not? Or are you saying it’s okay for IKEA to have a coined name, but not a credit union?
November 11, 2009 at 9:01 am
Denise Wymore
@JPilcher – I’m not saying either of those things. IKEA has a great reputation – but they need to pay attention to the details (like pricing and parts being available) or their name becomes a joke.
November 11, 2009 at 10:03 am
Credit Union Warrior/Matt Davis
A name’s like a pair of jeans. The quality of the jeans has more to do with how they fit, who’s wearing them, what they’re being worn with, how long they can be worn, and what their purpose is than what they look like on the shelf in a store.
November 12, 2009 at 11:05 am
Jeffry Pilcher
IKEA pays attention to details don’t they, and yet that didn’t stop Mark from making a joke out them anyway.
People like making fun of names. It’s in our DNA. We learn it as children on playgrounds and in backyards. “Ewww look! It’s Icky Vicky!” Remember what it was like when a new kid from a foreign country showed up at school? Brutal. For whatever reason, we like making fun of things that are different and stand out, no matter how immature it may be. That’s why true differentiation is so scary for many organizations. They fear being ridiculed.
Putting it another way: If people aren’t making fun of you, you’re probably excessively dull and boring.
November 12, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Denise Wymore
@jeffrypilcher –
I think you misread what I said – IKEA did NOT pay attention to two very important details.
1. The VEJMON display item (the one that is supposed to make you fall in love with it) was marked $30 less than the item in the warehouse.
In order for us to buy the BESTA we had to go to four different shelves in the warehouse – to get all of its parts – and after lugging 3 of the 4 to our cart found out they were sold out of the last piece – which made the process useless.
I like the IKEA brand – Mark, not so much. And he’s the frugal one, i.e. their target audience.
I do think people can be mean – I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s human nature.
Consider companies who have gained “nicknames” deservedly. Northwest Airlines comes to mind – Northworst! Delta stands for “Doesn’t Ever Leave the Airport.” US Airways became US Scareways. All name calling but in the customer’s opinion – it’s appropriate – not just human nature.
Southwest Airlines however gets picked on rarely. Sure, you can find some people that hate them – but it’s not the norm.
Another great example: Target’s brand was hijacked by their loyal customers who refer to is as “Tar-jhay.” A more upscale pronunciation of their favorite discount store.
If you pay attention to the details, build loyalty, respect your customers, you rarely get picked on.