http://pollywoginc.com/blog Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:18:11 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Brand Naming for the Digital Age Forget everything you know about naming for B2B—the rules are changing. Five converging trends are having a profound effect on how well brand names perform. Will your brand have the power to compete in the coming years? How will you know if it's time to rebrand? ... http://pollywoginc.com/blog/2010/03/09/pollywog-to-present-at-business-marketing-association/ Much has been written about Apple's clumsy introduction of the iPad. But the hook to this story is not that a big company made a naming mistake. This happens, sometimes in large, visible cases. Nor is the story about alleged sexism at Apple. While it may be true that Apple's culture is ... http://pollywoginc.com/blog/2010/01/29/apple-goes-with-the-flow/ BEST 1. Ghost Who would give a new product a name that reminds people of haunting, horror and death? Rolls-Royce bravely did when it introduced the 2009 Ghost. Though the name is likely a nod to the British automaker's 1906 “Silver Ghost,” it still carries a host of negative connotations--as well as ... http://pollywoginc.com/blog/2009/12/16/best-and-worst-brand-names-of-2009/ The branding world is abuzz today with reactions to AOL's advanced look at a rebranding campaign, the cornerstone of which is a revamped logo. AOL said in a press release: AOL today previewed its new brand identity for its future as an independent company committed to creating the world’s most simple and ... http://pollywoginc.com/blog/2009/11/23/aol-new-logo-same-irrelevant-positioning/ If you're a fan of the AMC series "Madmen," as I am--and especially if you enjoy wallowing in the retro branding, advertising and design details, as I do--you'll want to check out Madmen Props, an analysis of the show's (sometimes anachronistic) typefaces, on the Mark Simonson Studio blog. Hat tip ... http://pollywoginc.com/blog/2009/11/17/typecasting-on-madmen/ Pollywog recently worked with American Resource & Energy to position and name its flagship product for the small wind industry: Ground Control™ self-raising towers. Ground Control towers are the only nonhydraulic wind tower that can be raised and lowered by just one person--for maintenance on the wind turbine, or to protect ... http://pollywoginc.com/blog/2009/11/05/introducing-ground-control%e2%84%a2-self-raising-wind-towers/ Kraft's most embarrassing and painful new product introduction is now complete. In what has been dubbed an epic Vegefail, its new Vegemite + cheese spread will henceforth be known as "Vegemite Cheesybite." More than 30,000 people voted for a winning name by way of online and telephone polling. "Vegemite Cheesybite" ... http://pollywoginc.com/blog/2009/10/07/stunt-or-stupidity/ Turns out the product will remain in Kraft's Vegemite line, but will be renamed. That's reasonable. However, Kraft says that it has culled a short list from names submitted during the contest and will--wait for it--conduct a survey and choose whatever the public tells them to. Again, instead of evaluating these ... http://pollywoginc.com/blog/2009/10/01/the-snack-spread-that-would-not-die/ Kraft announced today that it is discontinuing its new iSnack 2.0 product. A line extension to Kraft's venerable Vegemite spread--which has enjoyed decades-long popularity in Australia--iSnack 2.0 had a sad, short life characterized by a one-day fanfare followed by a three-day shower of rotten tomatoes. Last week, Kraft Foods had proudly announced ... http://pollywoginc.com/blog/2009/09/30/isnack-2-0-the-worlds-shortest-shelf-life/ I heard some discussion on a radio show yesterday about the heroes who fight wildfires. Very interesting stuff, and what these "wildland firefighters" do is truly amazing. But I was pleasantly surprised to hear some of the fantastic names that are used for the various types of firefighters: A Smokejumper is ... http://pollywoginc.com/blog/2009/09/10/where-theres-smoke-theres-a-lot-of-great-names-and-one-stinker/