Naming the Product

“One of the interesting things about Apple is that there is little mystery to what they do. The company’s playbook is a matter of public record. Everything they do is human, right down to the names of their products. We get used to names like Mac, MacBook, iPod and iPhone. But for the sake of comparison, I refer you to Time Magazine’s Top 10 Gadgets of the Year 2007. Forgetting iPhone for the moment (#1), other products on this list include the Nikon Coolpix S51c, the Toshiba Portege R500-S5004 and the charmingly named Netgear SPH200W Wi-Fi Skype Phone. One can only scratch his/her head and ask “Why?” Logic says that naming has to be this way because manufacturers and retailers have to deal with product pipelines, warehousing, retailing and related real-world issues. Silly model numbers are a necessary evil. (Never mind that Apple encounters the same issues and somehow manages to get around them.) Call human beings foolish, but most would prefer talking about an iPod than a ZipMaster XLZ-500CSS MP3 Player. Naming a product is the first step – and arguably the most critical step – to building a relationship with customers.” —Ken Segall (y una amena entrevista con él.)