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Wrong, very wrong. Generic names say that you are generic, not special. Al Ries[0] describes this as the "The Law of Generic": a brand dilutes itself when it t
by diego_moita 10y ago
Wrong, very wrong. Generic names say that you are generic, not special.
Al Ries[0] describes this as the "The Law of Generic": a brand dilutes itself when it tries to refer to a generic category because it doesn't distinguish itself from competition. He gives 2 examples. There was a company making biscuits that called themselves National Biscuits Company. They abbreviated that to Nabisco and became a brand. There was a company making electrical appliances that used to call themselves General Electric Company. They abbreviated that to GE and became a brand.
[0] https://www.amazon.com/22-Immutable-Laws-Branding/dp/0060007737 https://www.amazon.com/22-Immutable-Laws-Branding/dp/0060007...
- eightturn 10y agoTell that to Nuts.com, Diapers.com, Rover.com, Soap.com, Fabric.com, PoolTables.com....
- zachrose 10y agoThis is my first time hearing about all of those. The only one I remember is Pets.com.
- xapata 10y agoThat hypothesis is difficult to falsify and therefore difficult to believe. Can you give an example company that can serve as a proxy for the counterfactual National Biscuit Company that never changed its name?
- diego_moita 10y ago> Can you give an example company that can serve as a proxy for the counterfactual National Biscuit Company that never changed its name? If I could then it would be an evidence that the thesis is false. Look around, among most successful sites and companies in the world which one as a clearly generic name?
- bildung 10y agoMinnesota Mining and Manifacturing (3M)? Industrial Business Machines (IBM)?
- xapata 10y agoNo, the other way. A company that kept the long name and thereby failed. Specifically because of the bad brand and not for other reasons.
- xapata 10y agoName one that kept the generic name and failed because if it. An alternative explanation is that large companies like to copy each other, not because it's a good idea, but simply because they're afraid to be different. Most people like to conform.