Ever wonder where some major companies/brands get their names?&=
nbsp; Here are the A-B-C’s of companies in just a phrase or two descr=
ibing how they arrived at names now common to millions around the world.
Your task, it you so desire, is to figure out the name (all beginning =
with A, B, or C) of these famous companies from sparse and cryptic clues.&n=
bsp; NO GOOGLE. ANSWER ONLY ONE PUBLICLY.
Example: In 1996 Dr Bob Gr=
iffin was teaching college students to use computer disk programs in educat=
ion when the internet began to spread. Students got an “email address=
”, but seldom any messages. He decided to send jokes, quizzes, and no=
nsense every day or two so their inboxes would not be empty. Eventually he =
bought his own domain.
Answer: Grif Net (yes, this starts with a “=
G”, but you get the idea)
1. T=
his self-professed “health-nut” computer guru followed not just=
a vegan diet, but a fruitarian diet. He wanted a “fun, spirited and =
non-intimidating” name for the job at hand.
2. Adolf Dassler and, later, yo=
unger brother Rudolf, wanted Germany’s Olympic runners to win gold in=
1928. The rivalry of the brothers in later years split the company b=
ut doubled the business.
3. Stanford computer scientists Leonard Bosack and Sandy=
Lerner founded the company in 1984, looking for a name and icon that promo=
ted strength and progress while honoring their hometown.
4. Founder August Horc=
h wanted his brand to be named after himself. Even though “horch̶=
1; in German meant “listen”, no one did. He went back to the cl=
assics for a name.
5. In the early days of the web, website listings were alphabe=
tized, so Jeff was eyeing words that started with “A. B, or C” =
for the largest bookstore on earth. He was dreaming big.
6. This scrappy discou=
nt health and beauty outlet in Lowell, Massachusetts, began in the 1960R=
17;s with emphasis on reducing prices for the shoppers without reducing qua=
lity in the inventory.
7. The Raffel brothers could not settle on a company name =
based on a combination of their initials or even syllables of their first o=
r even middle names. They finally agreed on one name for all.
8. Burt and Irv wer=
e brothers-in-law, each with successful snack shops. But they realized=
that national expansion would only work if they dropped their separate ide=
ntities and combined assets.
9. The condition in a Japanese board game when a pla=
yer’s stones are in danger of being taken by their opponent seemed a =
fitting name for a brand that centered on games.
10. Japanese entrepreneur Shojir=
o Ishibashi realized he could sell more worldwide if he translated his name=
into English, making his brand sound more historic, solid, and trustworthy=
=2E
11. Industry pioneer Ralph Roberts o=
riginally founded the American Cable Systems (ACS) in 1963. But he wa=
nted a name that would project a broader technological scope.
12. Xerox emp=
loyees Warnock and Geschke worked on a personal project after hours in a li=
ttle garage in Los Altos next to this creek.
~~
D=
r Bob Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net
"Jesus Knows Me, This =
I Love!"