I wasn't planning to do a post this week, but Mike Gruss, one of my favorite local newspaper columnists, spurred me to write. He published a piece yesterday that is so Word-wise friendly, I must pass it along. Gruss articulates beautifully the advantages versus pitfalls that come with changing a company's name.
Gruss nailed nicely, in modern terms, an old, old idea.
Four hundred years ago, Shakespeare averred that "a rose by any other name smells as sweet." In other words, changing the words that make up its name doesn't change the substance of a thing.
A well-worn cliche speaks of "calling a spade a spade"--that is, not disguising our meaning by choosing other (presumably kinder) words.
I'm no marketing expert, but as a person who loves playing with words, I find this topic endlessly fascinating.
The first example of corporate name change I remember well came along over 20 years ago, when all of a sudden the restaurant we knew as Kentucky Fried Chicken became KFC. The popular thinking at the time was that executives wanted to de-emphasize the word "fried" because of growing public concern about diet and nutrition. Company officials have refuted that idea, but it's still the impression that has stuck with a sizable portion of the public nonetheless.
Other changes are more factual and less seemingly obfuscatory, reflecting shifting corporate status or new ownership. The now-defunct car maker Chrysler/Chrysler-Dodge/Daimler Chrysler falls into this category.
Name changes seem to be endless among celebrities. My favorite example is the entertainer Prince, who for a time changed his name to that weird hybrid symbol. In print he was dubbed "the artist formerly known as Prince" until recent years, when he once again became simply Prince. (Would that make him now "the artist former known as, 'the artist formerly known as Prince'?) Another example of celebrity change/change back is comedienne Roseanne Barr/Roseanne Arnold/Roseanne.
Let's lengthen the list, readers. What other examples of advantageous vs. camouflage-creating vs. just plain confusing name changes would you add? And what are your favorite famous quotes and old sayings related to names or plain speaking?
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ReplyDeleteGreat article by Gruss, and a well done piece by you!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of calling things by other names...
I've always enjoyed the phrase (and the Mythbuster's episode) of "polishing a turd." Similar to "lipstick on a pig."
Neither of those see much use in my day-to-day life, but I do use the term "church it up" on an almost daily basis. I generally use it in a positive/semi-serious way. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fZsavJax-I
Hi AnnaLisa!
ReplyDeleteNice post! I had actually heard --and thought it was wide-spread urban legend-- that KFC had changed their name not to de-emphasize the fried part, but rather because they weren't legally allowed to call their product "chicken" anymore because of genetic modifications and other rarities. But maybe that was just a Colorado myth?
Ryan
Thank you for your comments, Ben and Ryan!
ReplyDelete@Ben: Neither of those sayings came to mind when I was writing this, but you're absolutely right--they fit the bill for this topic. As for "church it up," that one's new to me altogether. Thanks for educating us through the example in that very button-down, academic clip. (Ha!)
@Ryan: I must be out to lunch (though not at KFC, apparently) because I'd never heard THAT one before, either!