An interesting item* on naming new companies.



Dr D.C.Misra

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*If Google sounds weird, how about Abazab, Eefoof & Ooma?

LA Times-Washington Post



SAN FRANCISCO, August 29: Even if you could say Abazab or Eefoof without
snickering, would you want to do business with them? Would you feel OK
owning Wakoopa shares? Telling potential in-laws you met on Frengo?
Relying on Ooma to call Grandma?



Silicon Valley is in the midst of a great corporate baby boom. Venture
capitalists have pumped $2.5 billion into 400 young Internet companies
since the beginning of 2006, compared with $1.3 billion into 236
companies during the previous two years, according to research firm Dow
Jones VentureOne.



These entrepreneurial brain children have short life expectancies,
destined to fight for revenue with the likes of Google, Yahoo and EBay.
But still they are being born — and they need names. Naming a
company is far more difficult than naming a child. The name needs to
sound snappy, separate its young company from the pack and provide a
unique Web address.



You won't find a name among the horde that conjures up traditional
companies such as Dress Barn, Best Buy and Burger King. Most Internet
company names make little sense, and they roll around the mouth like a
marble.



"Old-school ideas about sounding trustworthy or sounding big are not
as important as they used to be," said Burt Alper, co-founder of
Catchword Branding in Oakland, which has helped companies pick such
names as Vudu (makes a device for watching videos) and Promptu (creates
voice-recognition products). "Now it's about sounding different
and standing out from the crowd."



Like naming a new baby, the process involves late-night brainstorming,
some expert help and a dose of frank feedback from friends. And like the
grandparents-to-be, a company's financial backers can kill a loved
name with a raised eyebrow. Picking the wrong name can kill a
multimillion-dollar investment.



Entrepreneurs today pick names they think will help their companies
stand out, as do parents of little Zander and Arlo, Eliza and Matilda.
"Naming a company is like naming a celebrity," said serial
entrepreneur Jared Kopf, who has helped christen companies including
Adroll.com, his online advertising firm, and Slide, a Web photo service.
"Made-up words don't come with psychological baggage."



Call it the Google effect. Thanks to the successful Internet search
company with the goofy name, entrepreneurs feel no shame telling people
they work for ItzBig (career networking) or asking venture capitalists
to invest millions of dollars in Picaboo (a website for ordering custom
photo books). Who needs the gravitas of an International Business
Machines or a General Electric?

(Source: The Indian Express, August 30, 2007, Thursday, p-22,
http://www.indianexpress.com/story/213373.html, accessed: August 30,
2007)







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