Don't Call Me That

We’ve had a couple of clients ask us recently about if and when it’s okay to use an informal “nickname” for their brand. With RadioShack recently making the very uncool move of trying to be cool by calling itself “The Shack,” we wondered if it’s ever okay to use a nickname. Here’s what we’ve concluded: the nickname should be in the hands of your customers. It’s cool when McDonald’s customers call it “Mickey D’s,” but it would be uncool if the company referred to itself that way. Conversely, it would be unwise of California Pizza Kitchen to insist that people STOP calling it CPK. The insiders know best. Let them call you what they will (as long as it’s not derogatory.) But as a company, you should continue to refer to yourself by your given name – you chose it for a reason, so don’t let it get away from you.