SCI FI Channel changes its name to 'Syfy'.
http://scifiwire.com/2009/03/sci-fi-channel-to-become.php
"By changing the name to Syfy, which remains phonetically identical, the new brand broadens perceptions and embraces a wider range of current and future imagination-based entertainment beyond just the traditional sci-fi genre, including fantasy, supernatural, paranormal, reality, mystery, action and adventure. It also positions the brand for future growth by creating an ownable trademark that can travel easily with consumers across new media and nonlinear digital platforms, new international channels and extend into new business ventures."
Oh where to begin? First there's the painfully outdated market-speak; "new brand broadens perceptions", "imagination-based entertainment", "positions the brand", "ownable trademark", "travel easily with consumers", "nonlinear digital platforms". Christ, there isn't a single phrase in this paragraph that doesn't piss me off.
I guess my biggest issue with this "rebranding", though, is the claim "...Syfy, which remains phonetically identical...". Really?
Within a word the 'y' sound is the soft 'i', and at the end of a word it's usually a hard 'e'. Just look at the word 'mystery', used in the first sentence. M-'i'-ster-'E'. Not M'I'-str-'I'. In standard usage this new spelling of Sci-fi (a contraction that bugs me anyways, is it really too strenuous to say 'Science fiction'?) would be pronounced 'S-'i'-ff-'E', or 'Siffy'.
So in order to 'move forward' with 'positioning the brand' they choose a silly respelling that reads like a lisper saying 'sissy'.
Good choice. Way to 'invite both consumers and advertisers into a new era of unlimited imagination, exceptional experiences and greater entertainment', by making up a new spelling for a contraction and then mispronouncing it.
Bunch of siffies. Think I'd rather go read a book.
Oh where to begin? First there's the painfully outdated market-speak; "new brand broadens perceptions", "imagination-based entertainment", "positions the brand", "ownable trademark", "travel easily with consumers", "nonlinear digital platforms". Christ, there isn't a single phrase in this paragraph that doesn't piss me off.
I guess my biggest issue with this "rebranding", though, is the claim "...Syfy, which remains phonetically identical...". Really?
Within a word the 'y' sound is the soft 'i', and at the end of a word it's usually a hard 'e'. Just look at the word 'mystery', used in the first sentence. M-'i'-ster-'E'. Not M'I'-str-'I'. In standard usage this new spelling of Sci-fi (a contraction that bugs me anyways, is it really too strenuous to say 'Science fiction'?) would be pronounced 'S-'i'-ff-'E', or 'Siffy'.
So in order to 'move forward' with 'positioning the brand' they choose a silly respelling that reads like a lisper saying 'sissy'.
Good choice. Way to 'invite both consumers and advertisers into a new era of unlimited imagination, exceptional experiences and greater entertainment', by making up a new spelling for a contraction and then mispronouncing it.
Bunch of siffies. Think I'd rather go read a book.
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2 comments:
i think they are hoping that by ditching the :scifi: channel surfers might actually stop and watch a couple minutes of tremors 6: electric buggalo and generate some advertising revenue as opposed to skipping the channel as a whole since they know they hate sci fi.
its a dumb idea, poorly implemented, but these are the people who brought us battlestar galactic, in my opinion one of the finest televsion shows ever (sci fi or not), so they get a little leeway from me.
i will allow it, but if they pass up the branding opportunity of switching from SyFy Friday to SyFryday i will lose all faith.
LMAO. It's scifi and they've never heard of syzygy?
Tsk Tsk.
Great post. =•)
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