They have the right to go in whatever direction that suits their charter with whatever partners fit them best, just like any small or large business, not-for-profit, government agency or other.

You may have to pursue a radical or potentially controversial change in course through a series of steps and stages….

Now this will go down as one of the worst public relations disasters ever.

In our social media world, the penalties are enormous for missteps.

Truly epic brand damage.

Wow!

You couldn’t sell buggy whips once cars came in….

And you couldn’t succeed with the world’s best film products when digital photography came in.

RIP, Eastman Kodak.

(But you’ll be back in many Harvard business school cases.)

But how hard could it be…..we consider the product, the attributes it delivers, the target market, competitive names and off we go….

Except for matters of taste, personal preference, competitive conflicts, trademark congestion, it really would be pretty straightforward….

Here’s a few current examples and how you can run amok:

1. Qwikster: So much has been written, but I have to say as well – how could the mailed product from Netflix have the Qwikster name?  Ok, enough said.
2. NuVal: King Soopers’ new scoring of specific foods’ nutritional value.  But why is it “Nu”?  Has an food’s nutritional value changed as a result of the scoring?  The “Nu” hangs me up…..it even gives me some genetically engineered feel which is probably not desired.
3. Dreamliner: Boeing’s new 787.  What a marvelous name in a category where conventional names have the numbering pattern.  But then delivery is nearly 3 years late.  A headache of epic proportions for marketers.
4. Metro State: The community college here in Denver wants a new name and wants Denver in that name but keeps bumping up against the University of Denver who is not taking kindly to encroaching in their space.   Stop right now and work on a different name idea.  Their current ideas are:  Denver Metropolitan State University.  Denver State Metropolitan University. Metropolitan Denver State University.  This is going nowhere.   They all sound the same to the naive listener and they are all TOO LONG.  Start over!
5. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art: Would love to visit this new museum in Bentonville, Arkansas.  But hate the name.  Feels like a mall or a senior retirement community.  Hmm.

What names are bugging you?  Let me know.

You might remember from my August 2010 post that I wasn’t too sure that Crock Spot was going to work last year.  (What was the benefit?  Why were there no crockpots in sight etc?)  And sure enough, they are gone.

But here’s a fun name, Latke Love, that evokes imagery of mom’s home cooking and interesting ethnic cuisine for me…..I’m betting they will be around next summer.   They seem to be doing a nice business this year.  Including with me.

Fun name and cute visual!

I put a fair amount of “blood, sweat and tears” into Video-on-Demand, including testing the service with mocked up systems that NEVER could have been deployed.

In a time before the iPad, the Droid, FaceBook, Bing, 140 character tweets etc.

With important corporate partners, none of whom exist today in the same corporate structure.

****

Comcast has just announced reaching 20 billion views of its VOD system.  20 billion views!

Could that mean that the whole industry has had north of 40 billion views?

So, my fellow new product developers.  Keep the faith.  Understand customer needs.  Struggle with systems, devices, processes, departments etc.

It is worth the fight!

• A Video-On-Demand episode of a favorite show
• A Youtube of a boys’ choir imitating cats (ok – a friend sent it to me and it is pretty funny!)
• An episode of The Office on Hulu
• A DVR episode of a news program I missed
• Video clips of finalists from American Idol embedded in a newspaper article.  (And yes, I did want to watch a video from The New York Times on artfully using scarves as a fashion accessory, but I’ve got to get some work done.)

I’m glad I don’t program a linear network these days.  And I’m happy I’m not an advertiser trying to chase audience.  Although I have to say that the ads were quite artfully slipped in the Hulu episode and in the VOD I watched.  Good work!

My Columbia reunion was excellent on so many levels….I’ll post a longer blog on both the personal and professional side over the next several days.

And comment on tools for real-time blogging, posting, sharing etc.   No longer does anyone need to sit there in one way reception mode!

Gala for the 30th Saturday night.   I think I was up later than I’ve been in 30 years.   And, no, I didn’t wear those shoes in this pix, though I admired my case team member who did.  In fact, it was great to be with my Strategy case teammates who were great “oh so many years ago” and remain great.  A lesson about picking great people and then building a great team?

As you come into Uris Hall.

Back in the day,  we just had regular TV.

On my way to Day 2 lectures.  Hope they are as fulfilling as Day 1.

Rumors have it that there was a 25th reunion.  Who knew?

I am Tweeting extensively on Bright Topics.  Follow me thru the lectures, the lunch and the big party tonight.