Product Names Matter

Just as overusing a thesaurus can turn your writing into a train wreck,

employing a string of meaningless, over inflated words can be a death

knell for your products and services.Almost every major corporation has

fallen prey to the bad product-naming pandemic. Usually, these gaffes

fall into two categories:

1) Some bad product names use internal operational

language in the product name (it's even worse if you keep changing the

name). That's great if you work for the company, but may leave the

people who might consider buying the product scratching their heads

wondering what the heck it does. An example is Yahoo's new search

advertising platform that has used several different names in it short

lifespan:

Yahoo

Marketing Solutions OR Yahoo Search Marketing ad system OR Panama OR

Yahoo Search Marketing's Panama Interface OR Project Panama OR Overture

Some bad product names use long windbag names to make themselves sound

more important. Most people can spot a braggart from a mile away, and

the same holds true with product names. For an example, here's a recent

product from Microsoft:

Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate UPGRADE Limited Numbered Signature Edition