[Chicago] names (was Re: autoimp)

[Robare, Phil]

Ted Pollari on Thursday, July 20, 2006 4:20 PM wrote:
> Is the silliness of the name the only reason that one language or  
> another lost out/didn't gain corporate (or other) mind share / market

> share?  Of course not, but could it contribute?  Certainly.  In other

> domains, ill-chosen names certainly have hindered market share.

OK, I'll agree in the world of business names are definitely important.
Even if the Nova story may be only an urban legend.

>From the Wikipedia entry on Osco Drugs:
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osco_Drugs)

In 1986, American Stores decided that they wanted to have one consistent
brand name for their three drug store chains, as part of a strategy to
build a nationwide network of pharmacies. Since there were more Osco
Drug stores than either of the other two brands, they converted all of
the Sav-on Drug Stores and Skaggs Drug Stores to the Osco Drug name.
However, the name "Osco" did not resonate well with Sav-on's southern
California customer base. American Stores quickly made the decision to
change the name of the former Sav-On stores back to Sav-on Drugs,
although for several years the stores retained a much smaller Osco
banner next to the Sav-On sign. Suggestions that the Osco name was
dropped due to its similarity to the Spanish word "asco" (slang for "I
vomit") were dismissed by the company as "nonsense."