When you think of business name changes, you think of the great decisions made by the greatest minds in the industry. The list of successful business name changes is long…and only exceeded by the list of those that cost time and money only to fail. Here is a list of some of the best known brands in the USA…and their original names
Business Name Changes that worked!
Control Video becomes AOL
AOL was the name we used for the internet for years
The Sound of Music changes its name to Best Buy
The Sound of Music was a great movie, but the new Best Buy name told us what we were really looking for.
AuctionWeb becomes eBay
The change has an element of luck when the media dubbed the site “eBay”, based on one part of the site that gave information about Ebola virus. And the eBay name went viral.
Giornale Coffee becomes Starbucks
Using a name inspired by Moby Dick, Starbucks has become the name we associate with starting your day.
BackRub becomes Google
Google it for more details!
Lucky and Goldstar merger establishes LG
Life is good after this simple change.
Kentucky Fried Chicken is gone. Now it’s KFC
Nobody wants to eat fried foods these days. But the Colonel’s secret recipe is still “finger lickin’ good”
Some business name changes flop
Contrast these with some of the worst corporate name changes. You probably know all of these businesses…some realized their mistake and went back to their original name…others simply continue to suffer.
Netflix changed to Qwikster, and back again
Netflix had millions of dollars worth of brand recognition, but tried to change their name. They rapidly gave up and kept Netflix. Who says you can’t go home again?
Comcast tries to be xfinity
Stuck with a new name that no one knows
Anderson Consulting Accenture
Combining “Accent” and “future,” the name change cost $100 million in advertising, and considered the “worst rebranding in history”
Blackwater tries to hide as Xe
Blackwater came into the spotlight when it’s mercenaries shot and killed 17 Iraqi civilians The name change couldn’t cover the fact, and the company, under any name, is under investigation
Philip Morris’s smoke screen behind the Altria name
Simply changing the name of the world’s largest cigarette company made it look like the company was trying to avoid being blamed for smoking-related deaths. It didn’t work.
WWF loses the fight and changes name to WWE
After years of trademark infringement, the World Wrestling Federation changed it’s name to World Wrestling Entertainment. The World Wildlife Federation won. And WWE was “pinned” with providing staged entertainment, not real competitions. Who knew?
Business Name Changes can work
The lesson is that you don’t have to stick with the name you start with…but simply changing your name won’t insure your success.
The real question is, what’s your strategy. Click here for some ideas that may help you come up with answers you can use. But when you do change your business name, there are important steps that can help you make sure it’s successful. Click here and take the first step.