What's in a Name? Everything.
The last week or so has seen two significant naming changes in the world of tech branding. They're "significant" not because of the size of the changes (we're talking a couple of words, give or take), but because of what they signify. Together, they reflect two generations of digital brands who, upon looking at their product portfolios, have reached two really different conclusions. And they reflect two really different mindsets when it comes to the collective state of mind of each of firm. One brand seems driven by its users. The other seems driven by itself.
One brand seems driven by its users. The other seems driven by itself.
First, Microsoft announced that it was renaming the web version of its Office suite. Office Online will be called…wait for it…Office. The various products within the suite will similarly move towards an unversioned approach. Word Online is now Word. Excel Online has given way to Excel.
This move is, in part, an effort to move from a world in which Microsoft distinguished between versions of its applications – desktop vs. web vs. phone. Historically, the difference in capabilities depending on your platform of choice meant that different versions catered to different user types. Hence, having an online version for people who lived in the cloud made sense. But, now that users at companies big and small, schools and universities, homes and coffee shop lines work in ways that flow and blend together, the versioning logic breaks down. Or, as Bill Doll of Microsoft put it, “This name change reflects Microsoft’s commitment to providing first-rate experiences on each of its supported platforms and devices. We expect people to choose Office to get access to the best productivity experience on the planet, wherever and however they want to work.”
By removing a single word, Microsoft actually said a lot.
By taking a step back, looking at the data, and prioritizing which problem to solve, Microsoft adopted an approach that simplified things for its users. Rather than push users to find a version of Office that they could fit into, Microsoft is giving users access to Office in ways that fit how people really behave. In doing so, Microsoft's naming action shows an appreciation of its users, placing consumers ahead of the corporation. By removing a single word, Microsoft actually said a lot.
Contrast that with the other naming news of the week: Facebook. The company, which owns social photo platform Instagram and messaging app WhatsApp, will be adding to its product nomenclature. Instagram will go by Instagram from Facebook; WhatsApp by WhatsApp from Facebook. In adding those two words – from Facebook –, the company does more to solidify perceptions that it is a big, potentially tone-deaf tech behemoth. It's a move out of the acquirer's playbook, assuming that everyone likes, or at least doesn't have a love/hate relationship with the company.
It's a bit bizarre coming on the heels of a record FTC settlement over user privacy, decreased platform usage, calls for CEO Mark Zuckerberg to step down, and an op-ed by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes to break up the company to increase competition. At best, people will only shudder when they open up the apps on their phones. At worst, it will make people question whether they trust the app enough to keep posting and sending messages.
In adding those two words – from Facebook –, the company does more to solidify perceptions that it is a big, potentially tone-deaf tech behemoth.
By making a move that provides no benefit to consumers, Facebook is curious to say the least. Like Microsoft, it says a lot about the company, what it's focused on, and who it cares about.
Look, I'm not saying it's always a bad thing to make brand moves that serve a company's own interests ahead of consumers. It's just that making a move that will annoy consumers, no matter how subtle that impact may be – is always a problem. Given a choice between increasing friction and reducing it, the decision should be easy. For Microsoft, it was. For Facebook, well, that seems to be a different story.
