Troubles with Changing a Brand Name

Posted by Paul Christ February 09, 2010

Brand name change As we note in our Product Decisions tutorial, branding “involves decisions that establish an identity for a product with the goal of distinguishing it from competitors.” Because this is the goal companies have been known to spend huge amounts on research to come up with the perfect name for their product. But coming up with a name for a brand can be tricky. There are many things that must be taken into consideration including what the name evokes in the minds of customers.

According to this story, Comcast may be facing a problem with what their brand means to customers. Not the Comcast name but their new brand name – Xfinity. Comcast has decided to rebrand its most important services – cable, Internet and phone – with the Xfinity name. What does Xfinity conjure in the minds of consumers? Well that remains to be seen but this story suggests that Comcast may initially face a rough go with the new name.

At least one brand guru is also shaking his head in disbelief. "It's a complete and total waste of time and resources," says Rob Frankel, who has consulted for companies like Disney, Burger King and Sony. "Nobody has a clue as to why they did this or what the name means.

What are the main advantages Comcast hopes to obtain from rebranding these services?

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