{"id":726,"date":"2009-03-16T13:47:42","date_gmt":"2009-03-16T21:47:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aidanmoher.com\/blog\/?p=726"},"modified":"2009-03-17T10:18:11","modified_gmt":"2009-03-17T18:18:11","slug":"an-aside-syfy-really-or-why-marketing-execs-shouldnt-drink-on-the-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aidanmoher.com\/blog\/2009\/03\/news\/an-aside-syfy-really-or-why-marketing-execs-shouldnt-drink-on-the-job\/","title":{"rendered":"An Aside | SyFy? Really? (or, ‘Why Marketing Execs Shouldn’t Drink on the Job’)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SyFyIn one of the most ill-advised marketing moves ever<\/em>, the US based SciFi Channel is rebranding itself as SyFy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

From TV Week<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

In some universe, the name \u201cSyfy\u201d is less geeky than the name \u201cSci Fi.\u201d Dave Howe, president of the Sci Fi Channel, is betting it\u2019s this one.<\/p>\n

To that end, the 16-year-old network\u2014owned by NBC Universal\u2014plans to announce that Syfy is its new name March 16 at its upfront presentation to advertisers in New York.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Erm… really? SyFy<\/strong> is less geeky than SciFi Channel<\/strong>? Really?<\/p>\n

And even if it is, do they not realize that their target audience is, um… geeks? <\/p>\n

\n

Sci Fi is coming off the best year in its history. In primetime it ranked 13th in total viewers among ad-supported cable networks in 2008. It\u2019s a top-10 network in both adults 18 to 49 (up 4%) and adults 25 to 54 (up 6%).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Geez, only their most successful year ever? Of course<\/em> it’s time to rebrand!<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe name Sci Fi has been associated with geeks and dysfunctional, antisocial boys in their basements with video games and stuff like that, as opposed to the general public and the female audience in particular,\u201d said TV historian Tim Brooks, who helped launch Sci Fi Channel when he worked at USA Network.<\/p>\n

Mr. Brooks said that when people who say they don\u2019t like science fiction enjoy a film like \u201cStar Wars,\u201d they don\u2019t think it\u2019s science fiction; they think it\u2019s a good movie.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spent a lot of time in the \u201990s trying to distance the network from science fiction, which is largely why it\u2019s called Sci Fi,\u201d Mr. Brooks said. \u201cIt\u2019s somewhat cooler and better than the name \u2018Science Fiction.\u2019 But even the name Sci Fi is limiting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Howe said going to Syfy will make a difference.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Yes. Going to an awkward misspelling of a ubiquitously geeky term is going to make all the difference in the world. In fact, it might even make up for the fact that all their current viewers won’t have to tune into SyFy<\/strong> anymore for Battlestar Gallactica<\/strong>, considering it’s nearing its final episode.<\/p>\n

At least they didn’t alienate their target audience by calling them ‘geeks and dysfunctional, antisocial boys in their basements with video games and stuff like that’<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Oh wait….<\/p>\n

\n

The network worked with the branding consultancy Landor Associates and went through about 300 possibilities before selecting Syfy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we tested this new name, the thing that we got back from our 18-to-34 techno-savvy crowd, which is quite a lot of our audience, is actually this is how you\u2019d text it<\/strong>,\u201d Mr. Howe said. \u201cIt made us feel much cooler, much more cutting-edge, much more hip, which was kind of bang-on what we wanted to achieve communication-wise.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Uh… there is just so much wrong with that bolded part that even I’m not going to go there.<\/p>\n

To rub further dirt in the wound, Syfy<\/strong> is a Polish word (the pluaral of Syf<\/strong>) which means<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\n

dirt, filth, grime
\n(colloquial) pimple, spot
\n(colloquial, vulgar) syphilis<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Naming your Television channel after a Polish slang term for Syphilis, really classy guys. Way to do your homework.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need an umbrella brand we can attach to new businesses: Sci Fi games, Sci Fi kids. It does no use to attach \u2018Sci Fi\u2019 because there\u2019s hundreds of sci-fi Web sites and sci-fi publications. So it\u2019s changing your name without changing your name,\u201d Mr. Howe said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Great! SyFy Kids<\/strong>! Who wouldn’t want their kids playing with that?<\/p>\n

I think the lesson here is simple: don’t let your marketing team drink on the job. Or name your Television channel after a venereal disease. Or based on how someone would TEXT IT<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In one of the most ill-advised marketing moves ever, the US based SciFi Channel is rebranding itself as SyFy. From TV Week: In some universe, the name \u201cSyfy\u201d is less geeky than the name \u201cSci Fi.\u201d Dave Howe, president of the Sci Fi Channel, is betting it\u2019s this one. To that end, the 16-year-old network\u2014owned… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n