August 3rd, 2009
Should RadioShack change its name to The Shack?
We’ve been told repeatedly that radio is dead. Yet RadioShack, that fabled tech retailer, is still alive and kicking even though it sells laptops, wireless phones and a lot of things that wouldn’t be construed as a radio.
Engadget reports that RadioShack may become The Shack. Whether it turns out to be true remains to be seen, but rebranding efforts can work every once in a while. But “The Shack”? Update: RadioShack has made it official—it’s really The Shack. The company says:
This creative is not about changing our name. Rather, we’re contemporizing the way we want people to think about our brand. THE SHACK speaks to consumers in a fresh, new voice and distinctive creative look that reinforces RadioShack’s authority in innovative products, leading brands and knowledgeable, helpful associates.
Harry McCracken at Technologizer has a fun collection of reasons that the RadioShack shouldn’t become The Shack. Andrew Nusca isn’t sure RadioShack’s name change even matters. My biggest reason to scream “nooooooooo!!!!” is that The Shack is too vague. The Shack could be mean everything from milkshakes (Shake Shack) to bagels (Bagel Shack) to an actual shack. Do we really want to buy our electronic gear from a shack anyway?
Hopefully, RadioShack ponders the name change a little more before it pulls the trigger. What would you rename RadioShack?
Originally posted on SmartPlanet.
Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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| 08/03/09
