T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
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2790.1 | I Like DEC | GLDOA::CUTLER | Car Topin' On The Cumberland | Fri Nov 19 1993 21:04 | 15 |
| <<< Note 2790.0 by GLDOA::PENFROY "Just Do It or Just Say No?" >>>
-< Company Name Change! >-
> If you were in charge of changing the name of this company in order to
> promote name recognition, what would you change it to?
I still like DEC, I don't really like "digital".
rc
|
2790.2 | | HAAG::HAAG | Rode hard. Put up wet. | Fri Nov 19 1993 22:38 | 1 |
| DEC!
|
2790.3 | i agree with last 2 | STAR::ABBASI | only 21 days to go and counting... | Sat Nov 20 1993 00:25 | 11 |
| i thought this quote is appropriate for this occasion:
"a rose but by any other name will still smell oh soo sweat"
by \Williams \Henery \Shakakspeerse
\nasser
|
2790.4 | DEC | GVA05::BURKHALTER | | Sat Nov 20 1993 02:06 | 3 |
| ...but its probably too late now, the opportunity was missed.
-Dom
|
2790.5 | Remember ARA? | GLDOA::CUTLER | Car Topin' On The Cumberland | Sat Nov 20 1993 07:48 | 33 |
| -< DEC >-
>>> ...but its probably too late now, the opportunity was missed.
I wonder how the surveys where conducted? Remember when they
picked "ARA" for the name of the ALPHA systems? (Advanced
Risc Architecture). Well at field training, they told us how
they had paid some company (big bucks), to "pick the right name
for Alpha",
and ARA was it! Just about everyone in the group that attended
training, and I mean everyone said "what?", ARA? We associated
ARA with ARA food services here in the states, just about
everyone "thought it was a bad idea"! Don't know how (or who
they hire to do these things), but it was obvious from that
experience (and this was a large group of people), that the overall
consensus was "ARA?" "WHY?", Everyone liked "ALPHA"!
Anyway, just wondering how they came up with picking "digital",
I read the article about name recognition, and that the word
"digital" was the most associated with us, but for some reason,
I just think that it would be easier for people (in the rest of
the world) and our customers, to associate "DEC" with a computer
company , than "digital". But what do we know, right? There's
something catchy, about "DEC", like "HP", "IBM", its bold, its
not something people can easily mistake for something else, like
"watches" (which is what I run into the most).
Oh well, I hope "digital" catches on, I truly do, (but I still
think "DEC" would catch on quicker - just a gut feeling).
Rick
|
2790.6 | I like DEC | SALEM::BOUDREAU | | Sat Nov 20 1993 12:14 | 5 |
| Digital as it stands alone sounds generic. DEC is what I prefer.
International Business Machines also sounds good with IBM.
How many people actually know what IBM stands for ???? But they know
what IBM stands for when it comes to what the company can do for
them!!!
|
2790.7 | The name our paying customers know us by... | USHS01::HARDMAN | Massive Action = Massive Results | Sat Nov 20 1993 12:28 | 12 |
| Phone call to a customer eariler this week:
Me: "Good afternoon sir, this is Harry Hardman with Digital, calling you
in reference to the problem you're experiencing with your laptop
computer."
Customer: "Is that the same as DEC?"
Sigh...
Harry
|
2790.8 | | QBUS::M_PARISE | Southern, but no comfort | Sat Nov 20 1993 20:08 | 13 |
|
I do not think we need a change of our name. As a matter of fact, name
changes detract from rather than promote recognition. It confuses your
customers to the point that only the most ambitious advertising campaign
can over-come that disadvantage. Not that we could afford one anyway.
Our customers, partners, stakeholders or whatever we're calling them
today have had it with our name changes in products, trademarks, images
and strategies; our flip-flops on commitments, vision and direction.
We had better get stabilized on something real soon or the next time
our name gets changed it might be:
Digital--a wholly-owned subsidiary of {.......}
|
2790.9 | our vision is an all encompsing one | STAR::ABBASI | only 21 days to go and counting... | Sat Nov 20 1993 21:09 | 12 |
| .8
>We had better get stabilized on something real soon or the next time
but we are, we support software and hardware on the most popular
platforms of the industry, from NT to OSF to VMS to RSX to U*X and more.
you name it, DEC has it !
what more do the customers want?
\nasser
|
2790.10 | It's all the same to me ... almost. | 15377::PILGRM::BAHN | Living in Virtual Reality ... | Sat Nov 20 1993 23:16 | 10 |
| By comparison to some of the readers and contributors to this
conference, I haven't been with the company very long. I passed
my 10 year anniversary last August. To me, the company's has
always been Digital Equipment Corporation. Both Digital and DEC
are just abbreviations to me. I feel most comfortable with
Digital ... capitalized ... "digital" is part of our trademark
and related to our name in that way only.
Terry
|
2790.11 | DEC | 19270::GSCOTT | I like two kinds of pie: hot and cold | Sun Nov 21 1993 11:34 | 3 |
| Every place you see the company's name outside those "imagine.."
adverts, it is "DEC" or "DEC (Digital)". Most of our products are
DECthis or DECthat. Wouldn't it make sense to call ourselves DEC?
|
2790.12 | FWIW, imho: I greatly prefer DEC & always have | DRDAN::KALIKOW | RTFW | Sun Nov 21 1993 13:42 | 1 |
|
|
2790.13 | Floor wax *and* dessert topping | FUNYET::ANDERSON | Craig Shergold for President | Sun Nov 21 1993 19:30 | 14 |
| I agree with those who suggest we should use both Digital and DEC. A new logo
of the form
D igital
E quipment
C orporation
would cover it.
I think it's more important to get our products into retail stores and our ads
in mass consumer media. Until that happens, the discussion of "Digital" vs.
"DEC" is meaningless.
Paul
|
2790.14 | DEC | ICS::CROUCH | Subterranean Dharma Bum | Mon Nov 22 1993 06:55 | 1 |
|
|
2790.15 | | MU::PORTER | dave has now left the building | Mon Nov 22 1993 08:49 | 3 |
| Focussing on issues like "changing our name" is symptomatic
of what's wrong with DEC. The disease is one of words over
deeds, sloganeering over innovation, vapourware over software.
|
2790.16 | DEC - Digital Equipment Co. | 42653::LOWEY | Cut Red Wire. First Removing Detonator | Mon Nov 22 1993 09:02 | 20 |
| DEC.
Having several names simply dilutes the message / marketing effort.
And the fact that "Digital" is an adjective, and gets used all over the
place, just dilutes it even more.
Another true recent conversation with a former colleague from the 1970s;
"You work for 'Digital' now? No, never heard of it. 'DEC'? No, sorry.
My company has just bought a superb new computer, from a company called
VAX."
I'd vote for "DEC" for the company name and all the products too.
- Like IBM, IBM 3270, IBM PC, IBM 9370.
- Like HP, HP 9000, HP/UX, HP LaserJet.
When with customers I often say "Digital Equipment Co. - DEC", to make
the link. Most existing customers call us DEC.
WHY DO WE HAVE SUCH A PROBLEM WITH NAMES?
-Nig.
|
2790.17 | | GRANMA::MWANNEMACHER | the ???'s kids ask | Mon Nov 22 1993 09:12 | 8 |
|
I was at a function (non computer related) this past weekend and a IS
manager of a large customer of ours where there. We were speaking and
I told him I worked for Digital. His response was, "So you work for
DEC, eh? What's going on over there anyway?">
Mike
|
2790.18 | let's get a consulting firm to name us... | SMURF::WALTERS | | Mon Nov 22 1993 09:27 | 24 |
|
re .5 ARA.
You missed the best part. The name ARA was circulated for review
before it was chosen. It was discussed during a group meeting in my
group - International Systems Engineering. We decided that it bent our
own corporate rules about product names: Avoid acronyms, where there
is a risk that they could be meaningful words in other languages.
Our review comments went off about 2 weeks before the official
announcement that ARA had been selected. We got a memo back saying
that some external company had tested the name internationally
and found no problems with it.
A few days later, someone from Israel pointed out that `ARA' pronounced
a certain way sounded like "sh*t" in Arabic (Hara or chara). it was
dumped a day later. I have no idea if these two events were related.
But what do DEC, er Digital, employees know about naming anything?
Colin
|
2790.19 | A rose by any other name... | AKOCOA::BBARRY | So, when will THEN be NOW? | Mon Nov 22 1993 09:54 | 11 |
| DEC is the name most recognize. 'Digital' is mostly an adjective;
A long time ago a company named TRW started a name recognition
campaign. Nobody knew what exactly they sold, but many knew the
name. Later, TRW started adding value to their commercials and ads by
describing their products;
We should stick with the name (already known) and concentrate on
associating *products* with that name - not *confusion*.
/Bob
|
2790.20 | | GRANMA::MWANNEMACHER | the ???'s kids ask | Mon Nov 22 1993 11:01 | 7 |
|
ALPHA should have bee ART (Advanced Risc Technology). Thing of the
advertising potential with ART.
Mike
|
2790.21 | Also in favor of DEC | NEMAIL::HANRON | | Mon Nov 22 1993 11:54 | 11 |
| Is it true that DEC did not succeed in getting a patent for "Digital"?
In other words, it was also the government's opinion that "Digital" was
more a descriptive term than a trademark?
People I have spoken with regarding the corporate identity issue have
all said they prefer (and relate our company more to) "DEC".
But we seem to prefer convoluted names for many things, including many
of our product names. I wonder if 3M is going to hire a consultant to
see if they should change their name to "Minnesota Mining and
Manufacturing". Does that conjure up images of 'Post-Its'?
|
2790.22 | DEC | CSC32::PITT | | Mon Nov 22 1993 11:59 | 23 |
|
customers ALWAYS (in my experience in phone support) refer to us as
DEC.
Maybe they get it off of all that equipment they pay for...
like
DECservers, DECstations, DECnis, DECathena, DEChub, DECnet,...........
I agree with .15. The name change game is just another misguided
effort, right up there with REstructuring. Reminds me alot of the
constant office moving that goes on.
Lets put our money and our efforts into the REAL issues.
VISIBILITY in the marketplace under ANY name would be nice.
The $$ spent on paying someone to figure out what name we should call
ourselves, would make for a couple of really nice commercials during
prime time tv!
(I can picture this Cheetah running across the plains, then an antelope
at full pace, an olympic athlete running the mile, then an ALPHA, just
sitting there....the caption would read something like "The Alpha (and
some of the other fastest things on the planet)" (or something like
that!!!!!)
|
2790.23 | DEC | WLDBIL::KILGORE | WLDBIL(tm) | Mon Nov 22 1993 12:01 | 1 |
|
|
2790.24 | It's all down to that logo... | PAKORA::CMACDONALD | Callum MacDonald 789-8149 (South Queensferry) | Mon Nov 22 1993 12:14 | 18 |
| Unfortunately we've been using this 'digital' logo for thirty years and we stuck
it on everything we made. Where I sit, I can see 'digital' on the bottom left
corner of my terminal, it's on the anti glare screen, on my badge, on the spines
of the books on my shelf, it's even on the glass doors as I walk in to work (in
burgandy I may add). We then thought we'd be IBM and abbreviated our name to DEC.
In hindsight, this was a bad move. Yes I agree it's snappy, but now it's just
confusing this companies image.
We can all argue until we're blue in the face about what we are called, but when
I think of a company I see the logo. IBM made up from lines, Coca Cola with the
joined up writing, sun (who have got the best logo in the indusry imho) made up
from u's. Every company has a logo/font/colour etc. We've been using one for the
last thirty years so we might as well stick with it.
That's my tuppence worth on this subject.
:-)
Callum
|
2790.25 | | GUCCI::RWARRENFELTZ | Shine like a Beacon! | Mon Nov 22 1993 12:46 | 2 |
| Anyone for 4C
Confused and Callous Computer Corporation
|
2790.26 | shades of grey | THEBAY::CHABANED | Spasticus Dyslexicus | Mon Nov 22 1993 13:04 | 18 |
|
.24 hit the nail on the head. Our logo has been "digital" for 30
years and our "nickname" has been "DEC". My suspicion is that some
lawyer and his marketing/advertising buddy saw this and convinced our
management there was something wrong. Consequently, we dropped a
bundle studying what was simply a small anomaly.
What makes me sick is that huge sums of money get paid to slime that
does "consulting" on topics like this. Had we spend the money
elsewhere...
grrr!!
-Ed
|
2790.27 | What we need is a new logo! | GLDOA::PENFROY | Just Do It or Just Say No? | Mon Nov 22 1993 13:07 | 7 |
|
DEC would work great IF...
We drop the old block digital logo and design a new DEC logo.
Paul
|
2790.28 | ***DEC*** | PCBOPS::OUELLETTE | | Mon Nov 22 1993 13:31 | 4 |
|
It will ALWAYS be ***DEC*** to me!!!!!!!!
|
2790.29 | | STAR::ABBASI | only 21 days to go and counting... | Mon Nov 22 1993 14:38 | 28 |
|
ok, i can't hold myself any more, i must say the obvious.
the name "DEC" for me is very similar in sound to a part
of anatomy of the male body, and because of this, many time
when i say "DEC" instead of "digital", people look funny at
me because the way i pronounce it they think iam pervert or something
which offcourse I AM NOT !!, and iam sure many others whose mother
tongue is not English might have faced the same problem, may be with
practice i'll get it right, but one mistake will ruin the whole thing.
this is why i never say "DEC" any more, if some one asks me where
i work, i tell them "digital", i dont want to get in a fight with
someone because they think i swear at them or something.
this is very sensitive issue i know, but i can't believe know
one see the similarity between the name "DEC" and the part iam talking
about. this is serious stuff, i am not kidding, when i was in the UK
a friend of mine whose mother language was not English went to a
shop and suddenly he was in a fight with the owner, and only because
of my friend said "cook" to the shop owner, but the way he said it, the
owner though my friend was swearing at him. my friend always asked
for "pepsi" from then on.
so, we must be careful in choosing a name, such that it is clear not
to be mixed up when pronounced with something else.
\nasser
|
2790.30 | | SNELL::ROBERTS | G-D-A-E | Mon Nov 22 1993 15:09 | 4 |
|
re: .29
any chance you dress like Michael Jackson?
|
2790.31 | | GRANMA::MWANNEMACHER | the ???'s kids ask | Mon Nov 22 1993 15:10 | 10 |
|
Nasser,
I have a few friends who are named Dick, they are fine human beings.
When I here this word, I think of a man's name and not some silly slang
term for a part of a male's anatomy.
Mike
|
2790.32 | | STAR::ABBASI | only 21 days to go and counting... | Mon Nov 22 1993 15:19 | 36 |
| .31
\mikey, may be because you grew up here, but i find it hard to call
people whose name is "dick" also, because i might , with my accent,
make a mistake and make their name sound like, you know, the other
thing, so i call them "bob" or "boby" or "dude" or something.
>I have a few friends who are named Dick, they are fine human beings.
iam sure they ARE !!
i never said anything about that !, iam sure you dick friends are an
outstanding and up right (pardon the puns) citizens !
i just said that many of us whose mothers tongues are not English
might make mistake saying name that are so close in sound to names in
the human anatomy, which could lead to embarrassing situations, especially
in international trade and meetings and conferences and international
marketing and communications related system and the like.
why make it hard on others to call the name of our company?
make the name such that it is not close in sound to the name of the
thing we are talking about.
there are doodles of names out there that are not close to this thing
in sound, can't we just pick one of them and make life easy on us
who are not blessed with mother tongues of English language?
this is the say of internationalism, we must open up to international
affairs and look beyond our borders for mutual trust, trade,
communications and global understanding.
\nasser
|
2790.33 | | POWDML::MACINTYRE | | Mon Nov 22 1993 15:35 | 7 |
| Although english is my first and basically only language, I'd be hard
pressed to make "DEC" sound like "penis".
:-)
Marv
|
2790.34 | | AKOCOA::BBARRY | So, when will THEN be NOW? | Mon Nov 22 1993 15:40 | 4 |
| Hey \nassar digit is a finger� You won't want to give your
customer the digital handshaker are you?
Dec doesn't sound anything like cock, either
|
2790.35 | Anatomy 101 | FUNYET::ANDERSON | Craig Shergold for President | Mon Nov 22 1993 15:56 | 3 |
| Intersting that Wang did not change their name, even after bankruptcy.
Paul
|
2790.36 | | TNXKEN::ERSEK | I was VMS when VMS wasn't cool! | Mon Nov 22 1993 16:01 | 7 |
| It's swimming against the tide in this note but I don't like DEC at all
and I think the name Digital (and DEC) has a negative image associated
with a declining style of computing. I think we need a completely new
name - like the "Doriot" terminals. I don't have a name in mind but
would like one that implies flexibility, openness and state of the art.
If I think of anything I'll post it.
|
2790.37 | DEC - Digital | ODIXIE::RYANKE | Kevin Ryan @MTO DTN 360-5115 | Mon Nov 22 1993 17:19 | 10 |
| During the FY94 Sales & Marketing Kickoff meeting in July, this whole
area was discussed quite intelligently by a lady (this is all from
memory) I think named Carol Shippen. She discussed the study that was
made and how for example when people were asked about DEC and Digital,
an astounding number thought them to be two different organizations.
She discussed the branding campaign and how important it is to have a
lasting brand image.
Find a videotape of that meeting and you will be educated on why the
change.
|
2790.38 | Yep! It's groundhog day again! | SNOFS1::GEORGE | It's Groundhog Day... again! | Mon Nov 22 1993 17:22 | 15 |
| re: .24 PAKORA::CMACDONALD
> from u's. Every company has a logo/font/colour etc. We've been using one
> for the last thirty years so we might as well stick with it.
Great thinking!
No matter what happens, never ever change. Because the name has been that
way for thirty years, stick with it, no matter what!
Never change. Just keep doing everything the same way, over and over.
Right to the end.
regs
|
2790.39 | | QBUS::M_PARISE | Southern, but no comfort | Mon Nov 22 1993 18:52 | 10 |
| Re: .38
I think the spirit of the reply .24 regarding not changing the name
or logo was not to ever change at all, but to understand the trade-offs
involved in any change. Digital doesn't seem to do a very good job of
understanding these trade-offs or consequences before a "command
decision" is made. This is the new Digital "decision on demand" style.
Prescience is either omitted from the list of goals, or factors very
low into the decision equation.
|
2790.40 | Re-imagine "DEC" | ANGLIN::ROGERS | Sometimes you just gotta play hurt | Mon Nov 22 1993 19:15 | 77 |
| I don't much care for either DEC or digital, but the only way we could
change it to something else would be to something modern sounding and
space age-y.
The example I am thinking of is when Standard Oil of New Jersey decided
they wanted to differentiate themselves from all the other "Standard
Oil of ________" companies and instituted a highly-publicized
name-hunt. After months of FREE publicity, they chose a
computer-generated name: Exxon.
Now I am not suggesting we change to something like Kevlar or Velcro,
but that is the type of "invented" name we would need.
The alternative is to re-brand DEC. It appears that not much can come
of trying to copyright the word "Digital", but nobody uses DEC. I've
heard the reasons not to use DEC, and actually I pretty much agree with
them:
-- It sounds too much like "dreck", which means excrement
-- It sounds too much like "shack", as in Radio Shack(tm), a term which
is felt to imply cheap or home-made from kits.
-- It sounds stolid, stodgy, and un-imaginative
-- Naming all our products "DECthis" and "DECthat" has made the term
DEC sound pretty myopic, self-absorbed, egotistic, and arrogant
-- It sounds too much like "deck", as in something to walk on,
something that's underfoot, something that's low or down, something
that's very basic and can be taken for granted
-- It sounds harsh, clipped, and abrupt -- almost impolite
On the other hand, here are its strengths:
-- Strong...all caps, not like the wimpy "digital"
-- Honest. It is what it is.
-- Simple. Not "The DEC company", just "DEC".
-- Focused. "Digital Equipment Corporation" is not only mis-leading in
today's world of software, services, and solutions, but the phrase just
takes too long to say -- it makes you sort of self-conscious.
-- Meaningless. This is its strongest point! "Exxon" was meaningless,
too. It was an empty vessel, and you could pour into it any message
you wanted.
This last point means that we could get many of the benefits of an
invented name. And for you penny-pinchers out there: no, it would NOT
be free! It would take many millions of dollars in advertising to do
this right.
We would need a series of ad campaigns that would counter-act the
existing negatives to the name. "DEC" would need to be re-shaped, not
only in television ads, but in our own hearts and minds. WE the DEC
would have to start thinking of the word "DEC" differently -- it means
different things to each of us, but it is an "aw-shucks" term of
self-reference that sub-consciously puts ourselves down.
The new ads would play to the "DEC" word qualities of strengths of
Strength, Simplicity, and Honesty. The ads would take advantage of the
"meaninglessness" of the word to counter-act the negatives with these
messages:
-- Uplifting, visionary
-- Smooth, elegant
-- Helpful, friendly, cheerful
-- Smart, bright
-- Quality, classy, in style
Can you think of images that reinforce those qualities? Perhaps
someone like Kevin Costner as a spokesman, Flipper as a mascot, shots
of "Old Faithful", airplanes doing loops over the Grand Canyon,
children running up a hill, a modern ocean liner cutting across the
ocean, men in tuxedos escorting ladies up a wide staircase to where an
orchestra plays, a woman reaching the top of a mountain with sunny
vistas below her...
The logo? I like the white-on-burgandy and would like to keep it. How
about a white "DEC" on a burgandy background? The background symbol
could be interesting -- maybe the diamond-shaped flow-chart symbol for
a decision point, with one arrow coming out the side corner? Or
maybe a cloud (you know, the network cloud)? Or maybe the swirly
symbol for a hurricane?
|
2790.41 | And we'd have to undo what has been done | SMAUG::GARROD | From VMS -> NT, Unix a future page from history | Mon Nov 22 1993 19:56 | 8 |
| Re .-1
Not to forget (or is that "imagine") we'd have to undo all the "impact"
that the current attempts to brand "digital" have none. That shouldn't
be difficult though given that I think the current branding campaign is
totally ineffective.
Dave
|
2790.42 | | DECWET::FARLEE | Insufficient Virtual...um...er... | Mon Nov 22 1993 20:17 | 2 |
| Re: .-1,
Well, for starters, there would be some bushes to re-plant...
|
2790.43 | hope this helps... | MU::PORTER | dave has now left the building | Mon Nov 22 1993 23:08 | 2 |
| What I want to know is, is it all right to call Nasser a dec-head?
|
2790.44 | | STAR::ABBASI | only 21 days to go and counting... | Tue Nov 23 1993 00:01 | 5 |
|
I am _NOT_ a DEC-HEAD !!!
\nasser
|
2790.45 | | ZPOVC::HWCHOY | On a foul day, you can complain forever. | Tue Nov 23 1993 00:44 | 5 |
| re .44
That should've been DEChead ;)
No wonder we did away the DECwand.
|
2790.46 | | GLDOA::PENFROY | Just Do It or Just Say No? | Tue Nov 23 1993 07:36 | 3 |
|
DEC is only one letter different from NEC. More confusion or no?
|
2790.47 | New slogan | STAR::DIPIRRO | | Tue Nov 23 1993 08:37 | 4 |
| I'd say that most of you aren't playing with a full DEC. Hey, a new
slogan is born:
Digital: We're not playing with a full DEC anymore!
|
2790.48 | brill | SMURF::WALTERS | | Tue Nov 23 1993 08:45 | 4 |
|
> Digital: We're not playing with a full DEC anymore!
Love it!!!!
|
2790.49 | How many of us still have our orange T-shirts?? :>) | YUPPIE::COLE | Free: A 4-letter word starting with "F"! | Tue Nov 23 1993 08:46 | 4 |
| "If your computer doesn't have 36 bits, you're not playing with a
full DEC"
<DECSYSTEM-20 continued...>
|
2790.50 | I do! | WLDBIL::KILGORE | WLDBIL(tm) | Tue Nov 23 1993 09:31 | 1 |
|
|
2790.51 | nuthin' wrong with being a DEChead... :^) | STRATA::DWEST | choose wisdom over intelligence... | Tue Nov 23 1993 11:21 | 8 |
| re DEChead
actually, in the EINF about the Grateful Dead, noters there have been
referring to themselves as DECheads for years! complete with t-shirts
and everything... a deadhead who works at DEC? there are worse things
to be... :^)
da ve_the_DEChead
|
2790.52 | Not "neck" | ANGLIN::ROGERS | Sometimes you just gotta play hurt | Tue Nov 23 1993 11:21 | 4 |
| re: .46
I think NEC calls themselves "N - E - C", not "neck", so I don't think
there would be any confusion.
|
2790.53 | AXP Corporation ? | GAAS::BRAUCHER | | Tue Nov 23 1993 12:57 | 11 |
|
Count me with .36 - a completely new name would be best.
When you are losing, change tactics. DO NOT become conservative.
Conservatism is for the winners, and for several years, that hasn't
been us. Besides which, DEC and Digital are lousy names, period.
Particularly bad is the 'Equipment' noun, which is even worse
than the preceding generic adjective. The 'computerish' names
are good, unlike any word. How about, AXP Corporation, for example ?
bb
|
2790.54 | | OKFINE::KENAH | I���-) (���) {��^} {^�^} {���} /��\ | Tue Nov 23 1993 13:13 | 7 |
| Our name is not important. If we have what customers want, then
they will buy it.
As an example: when Cabbage Patch Dolls were all the rage, nobody
cared what the company that sold them (Coleco) was officially called.
Coleco, by the way, is short for the Connecticut Leather Company.
|
2790.55 | | 19270::GSCOTT | I like two kinds of pie: hot and cold | Tue Nov 23 1993 16:41 | 22 |
| re .37: I have heard that "two company" thing before. It could be that
the result was CAUSED by this decision to force the use of the name
"Digital" rather than "DEC".
Of course when you ask a body of consumers about two names that aren't
exactly household words, I would certainly expect to get some
confusion. Particularly since neither of our names has ever been
_effectively_ marketed to the Great Unwashed Consumer as a reliable,
efficient, dependable provider of computing solutions.
What is really dumb about this is that the momentum was on the side of
the "DEC" name, and not the "Digital" name. Note that very few of our
products have the name "Digital" as part of their trademarks. Note
that many of our products have the name "DEC" in them. Note that the
vast majority of our customers know us as DEC. Note that one name is
an adjective, one name is a TLA.
It sounds like the videotape and discussion by the person you mentioned
was more of an justification for the decision, rather than a convincing
argument that the decision was the correct one.
It was a bad decision to use Digital.
|
2790.56 | %%DECSYSTEM-20 continued | 19270::GSCOTT | I like two kinds of pie: hot and cold | Tue Nov 23 1993 16:43 | 2 |
| re .49: I've still got my "Reed Powell Special" orange T-shirt... and I
still have an account on GIDNEY, one of the last 2060s in the company.
|
2790.57 | RADIO COMMERCIAL CONFUSED | USDEV::OLSALT::DARROW | Boat's in the shop, RV aint ready ...... | Tue Nov 23 1993 16:57 | 7 |
| Last night on WEEI during the Celtic's disaster there was a commercial for
'DIGITAL PRINTERS" at Lechmere. I was driving and was not able to record it
but there were several references to the DIGITAL line of printers and at least
one reference to a specific model a 'DEC' something.
It is not going to be easy to "change the way the world thinks"!
|
2790.58 | sounds consistent to me | REGENT::LASKO | now unpacking in both places | Tue Nov 23 1993 17:31 | 5 |
| The names of the printers we sell at Lechmere (which is a large
appliance store chain in the Northeast) include the already established
trademarks of DEClaser, DECwriter, and DECmultiJET. Those are indeed
part of the Digital line of printers. No one has told us to change from
using those yet.
|
2790.59 | or how about | AIMHI::GODIN | technical consultant...NOT | Tue Nov 23 1993 17:40 | 4 |
| or how about DECsystems, DECstations, DECconcentrator,
DECbridges,etc...
Moe
|
2790.60 | | ICS::BEAN | Attila the Hun was a LIBERAL! | Tue Nov 23 1993 17:48 | 10 |
| re:
<<< Note 2790.3 by STAR::ABBASI "only 21 days to go and counting..." >>>
-< i agree with last 2 >-
> "a rose but by any other name will still smell oh soo sweat"
^^^^^
maybe is *does* smell a bit?
|
2790.61 | How generic can a corporate name get? | SEND::KILGORE | WLDBIL(tm) | Tue Nov 23 1993 20:27 | 7 |
|
From Newsweek, 29-Nov-1993, page 56, "The Hyperactive Highway", end of
article:
"...Such worries stayed hidden at Comdex, of course. The Digital
Generation partied..."
|
2790.62 | I work for The POLYcenter???? :-} | 29563::REESE_K | Three Fries Short of a Happy Meal | Wed Nov 24 1993 11:14 | 5 |
| Maybe we'd better be careful what we wish for.....DECthis, DECthat or
DECwhatever. The latest trend seems to be adding/re-naming software
to the POLYcenter portfolio of products.
|
2790.63 | Our POLYcenter troubleshooting box is called parrot so it could get worse... | KERNEL::COFFEYJ | The Uk CSC Unix Girlie. | Thu Nov 25 1993 11:12 | 10 |
| :-)
Being meant to be a focus for supporting POLYcenter (yik, 'merican spelling time!)
system management tools people asked me a couple of times what it is...
I find anything we do that isn't purely hardware or an operating system
fits the bill quite well.
Jo
Aviary_employee.
|
2790.64 | | WLDBIL::KILGORE | WLDBIL(tm) | Mon Nov 29 1993 08:04 | 6 |
|
From Boston Globe, Sunday, 28-Nov-1993, add in Business sction for
Computers Etc. of Peabody MA:
"DEC Laser Printer for MAC and/or IBM..."
|
2790.65 | Beating a dead horse... | ALOSLS::ALTMNT::Kozakiewicz | Shoes for industry | Mon Nov 29 1993 10:11 | 10 |
| On Saturday I sold a snowblower that I had advertised in the local Want-Ad
Digest to some guy who just moved to the area from Long Island. In talking
about our employers, I said that I worked for Digital Equipment. He said:
"Oh, you mean DEC!"
Not the first time this has happened to me. I once spent 8 months working on
a project where the customer referred to us as the "DEC guys".
Al
|
2790.66 | | GLDOA::PENFROY | Just Do It or Just Say No? | Tue Nov 30 1993 08:59 | 11 |
|
So correct me if I'm wrong, but since we have been using "DEC" to brand
our equipment (DECxxxxx) for years and years, the move to "Digital"
actually WAS a name change, at least as far as marketing our products is
concerned, no?
The problem with "DEC" was the lack of a "DEC" logo, and the failure to
give that logo high visibility through aggressive advertisement.
Paul
|
2790.67 | Why care if our products are named DEC*? | MSBCS::WIBECAN | Going on an Alphaquest | Wed Dec 01 1993 09:03 | 6 |
| Yes, we've been using DECxxxx for our product names. Computer Associates uses
CA-xxxx, Borland uses Turbo xxxx, Raxco uses Rabbit xxxx, General Motors uses
Chevrolet, Pontiac, and a few others, and there are many other examples.
Product names do not have to match the company name, folks.
Brian
|
2790.68 | McThis, McThat -- but nobody calls the company "Mc" | 2388::SWONGER | DBS Software Quality Engineering | Wed Dec 01 1993 10:53 | 3 |
| ...and for an even more obvious example, take a look at MacDonald's.
Roy
|
2790.69 | | GUCCI::RWARRENFELTZ | Shine like a Beacon! | Wed Dec 01 1993 11:58 | 22 |
| I believe the undisputable fact remains that we, Digital, have not done
a good enough marketing job so that either:
1. Our corporate name/logo is instantly recognizable.
2. Our products are not instantly recognizable.
Whatever we choose tosay, the fact is that our marketing to this point
has FAILED!!! What we need to do from this point on is to resolve that
1 & 2 above are accomplished if we are to survive in the competitive
marketplace today.
My brother-in-law works for a large commercial customer in Richmond, VA
and he services their pc's in-house. He knows his stuff, since his
services are constantly being contracted out. In August, while in
Richmond for a visit, he was raving about the Pentium. I mentioned
that we now have an Alpha AXP PC that blows away the Pentium. He never
heard of Alpha, thought that Tandy was still manufacturing our pc's for
us.
If someone in the business doesn't know about Alpha AXP, how we expect
a groundswell of consumer activity IF WE DON'T MARKET OUR PRODUCTS
PROPERLY?!???!
|
2790.70 | Byte always refers to the "DEC Alpha" | GWEN::KOVNER | Everything you know is wrong! | Thu Dec 02 1993 09:08 | 11 |
| We're getting more press in Byte magazine now (for the Alpha PC's), but they
consistently refer to them as "DEC Alpha"s.
Due to the magazine's lead time, they are still reviewing pre-release NT
software on Alpha AXP, but we're getting good, but not raving, reviews.
Now, if we'd just have some ads like Pentium and Power PC have, our name
recognition should go up.
Also, the experience in our group with a Jensen is that software written for
Intel does not show what the Alpha can do; you need native software for that.
(So when can we get Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, etc. for Alpha?)
|
2790.71 | 1 call to the news director | XLIB::SCHAFER | Mark Schafer, Development Assistance | Thu Dec 02 1993 16:40 | 10 |
| a name change won't do it.
a snappy logo won't do it.
it all comes down to money. I noticed recently that the CBS evening
news did a story on Intel and Dan Rather was holding a CPU board in his
hands with that familiar logo stamped on the chip. Intel spends big
bucks advertising their product. I'm sure that they provided the "news
story" to the network and let nature take it's course...
Mark
|
2790.72 | | LEVERS::CHALMERS | Noters take note | Thu Dec 30 1993 12:16 | 5 |
|
How about digiDEC, or DECital or analog..;-}
|
2790.73 | | FREEBE::MFOLEY | Gravity, like Rust, never sleeps. | Tue Jan 11 1994 12:04 | 9 |
|
When I am asked who I work for, I always say "Digital Equipment".
I think we should standardize on the d|i|g|i|t|a|l logo, recognize that
our customers will always call us DEC, and emphasize that too.
Who says you can only have one logo anyway?
.mike.
|
2790.74 | | ROWLET::AINSLEY | Less than 150 kts. is TOO slow! | Tue Jan 11 1994 15:22 | 9 |
| re: .73
> I think we should standardize on the d|i|g|i|t|a|l logo, recognize that
> our customers will always call us DEC, and emphasize that too.
This brings up an interesting point. We know our existing customers call us
'DEC'. What do our potential customers call us?
Bob
|
2790.75 | Prospects call us | SIERAS::MCCLUSKY | | Tue Jan 11 1994 17:56 | 2 |
| re. -1 Infrequently
|