Consumers give nicknames to companies based
on individual experiences. Although some of them are not complimentary, others have
become a marketing tagline for the organizations. Some of the recognizable monikers
are:
Target
Popular Nickname: Tar-zhay
Did You Know? In a Washington
Post article, staff writer Yian Q. Mui wrote, "Fans of Target stores
long ago nicknamed the retailer 'Tar-zhay' for its cheap and chic clothes, the
French accent lending the discounter a certain je ne sais quoi that made
it acceptable among fashionistas."
Walmart
Popular Nickname: Wally World
Did You Know? The term "Wally World" comes from a
fictional amusement park in the 1983 comedy film National Lampoon's Vacation.
The sheer size and "everything under the sun" mentality of the park
set the stage for the Walmart store name to be altered to "Wally
World" soon thereafter. A parking lot depicted in the film also resembles
a cement desert without end.
Microsoft
Popular Nickname: Mister Softee
Did You Know? The nickname Mister Softee comes from
Microsoft's stock symbol: MSFT. As you see, it has some of the same letters as
the beloved soft ice cream vendor, Mister Softee. And so, a bit of Wall Street
slang was born.
Whole Foods
Popular Nickname: Whole Paycheck
Did You Know? Not surprisingly, the company is chagrined
about its pricey moniker, especially in an atmosphere of rising food costs and
growing discontent among consumers. In a New York Times article, co-president
Walter Robb was once quoted as saying, "I'm getting a little tired of that
tag around our neck. We are a lot more competitive than people give us credit
for. We challenge anyone on like items."
I
discovered that Whole Foods gives back through their foundation. Today’s gift was to
give money to the Whole Planet Foundation. They support entrepreneurs in 39
countries including about 900 micro-entrepreneurs in the United States. In the
future I will not be concerned about my “whole paycheck” going to “whole foods”
because proceeds are given to a good cause.
In
Giving,
Robin
No comments:
Post a Comment