A minor irrelevant consumer announcement

[chipotle]

I’ve seen many people refer to RadioShack changing their name to “The Shack” and how monumentally stupid this is, following the lead of Pizza Hut changing their name to “The Hut.” I did something kind of wild and crazy and actually, y’know, went to the company web site to read the press release from August 3:

RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) will unveil its new brand creative platform, “THE SHACK,” on August 6, supported by an integrated television, print and digital media schedule, as well as a high-profile, three-day launch event taking place in New York City and San Francisco.

“Trust is a critical attribute of any successful retailer, and the reality is that most people trust friends, not corporations. When a brand becomes a friend, it often gets a nickname — take FedEx or Coke, for example. Our customers, associates and even the investor community have long referred to RadioShack as ‘THE SHACK,’ so we decided to embrace that fact and share it with the world,” said Lee Applbaum, RadioShack’s Chief Marketing Officer. “This creative is not about changing our name. Rather, we’re contemporizing the way we want people to think about our brand.”

In other words, they aren’t changing their name. This is a marketing campaign.

I also went to Pizza Hut’s web site, and found a somewhat curt and, dare I say, vaguely exasperated-sounding press release from June 20:

“Pizza Hut is not changing its name. We are proud of our name and heritage and will continue to be Pizza Hut. We do use ‘The Hut’ in some of our marketing efforts,” said Brian Niccol, CMO, Pizza Hut, Inc.

In other words, they aren’t changing their name. This is a marketing campaign.

That we’re so quick to believe that these companies would throw away decades of brand equity for Google-hostile generics says something, surely, but I’m not sure exactly what it says, nor whom it says it about. But don’t be looking for them to be changing their signs any time soon.

Jack in the Box, though? “The Box.” Next month. You heard it here first.

Comments

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

This makes lots more sense. After all, you cannot Trademark the words "Shack" and "Hut" because they are common english words. I've been stupified that any exec would let their company change their name to a word that could not be trademarked and ditch one that already was.

As for these campaigns, I have never called Radio Shack "the shack" or Pizza Hut "the hut". So it's wasted on me. Part of me wants to make a product and sell it under the "shack" name because there's nothing they can do except harrass me over it. You can just bet the chinese already have ships of "Shack" merchandise on the way over here now. Something tells me this fad won't last long.

[kynn.livejournal.com]

It's probably the same people who are still irrationally angry and hurt by SyFy's name change, right?

[greenreaper.livejournal.com]

Aww. I was hoping to go to Pizza The Hut during my next con. :-p

[prickvixen.livejournal.com]

Aww, but they're our friends! We trust them!

[momentrabbit.livejournal.com]

I'm amused because I've never heard it referred to as 'The Shack'. 'Rat Shack', yes. But never just 'The Shack'.

[prickvixen.livejournal.com]

Incidentally, Jack in the Box is just 'Jack,' or 'Jack in the Crack,' 'Chez Jacques,' etc.

[mordrul.livejournal.com]

I'm amused because I had absolutely no idea any of the things mentioned here were going on. I love not having a television.

Besides, I've been deliberately calling it "Radio Shed" for decades now.

[kereminde.livejournal.com]

I was tolerably amused at the hype going up about the "name change" and tried not to snicker. I refer to Radio Shack as "that ex workplace" and really would only consider going there for parts/accessories. Since they usually have it.

AS far as Pizza Hut goes, the instant they give me less grief than Papa John's, I'll start ordering from them again.

SyFy/SciFi . . . well they stopped carrying all the shows I wanted to watch, so they can go under. No more Stargate, no Doctor Who, and Ghost Hunters seemed to stop being so skeptical. And the movies? Show me Dog Soldiers again . . .

[bfdragon.livejournal.com]

I thought they were called, "They're still around?"