Ask HN: Why do tech companies have such confusing naming schemes?
While marketing aside, I’d love to know the psychology and rationale behind computer manufacturers and tech companies complicating naming of their products lately. While at one point it may have suggested incremental updates, lately the complete abandonment of the series itself in a short span doesn’t suggest what’s the latest one to buy (assuming that’s the marketing goal). I’m wondering what is the rationale behind it all.
1 comments
We say in software that the hardest thing is naming, and this somewhat leaks over to the marketing side, too but it gets worse there because that department often isn't familiar with what tech products actually do or how they work or what differentiates them. This leads to a communication gap where it's hard to come up with names and marketing tag lines that are memorable or useful.
Also, there's a "throw it to the wall and see what sticks" trend in marketing lately that's partly to blame. We have several name changes and rebrands in the last decades that weren't helpful or desirable to consumers, like Mondelez or Cracker Barrel. Toyota just made up a new name for its super luxe division (above Lexus) and it's so forgettable I already can't remember it.
Also, there's a "throw it to the wall and see what sticks" trend in marketing lately that's partly to blame. We have several name changes and rebrands in the last decades that weren't helpful or desirable to consumers, like Mondelez or Cracker Barrel. Toyota just made up a new name for its super luxe division (above Lexus) and it's so forgettable I already can't remember it.