10 p.m. Senior Producer Scott Howard pointed me to this list of Brand Names that have become Generic Terms. It's interesting in light of my story tonight on how brands get their names. Strategic Name Development in Bloomington is one of a handful of companies that do a hard core process of developing and testing names. They came up with the brilliant name "Baconator." That name has started to become a bit of a verb, As in, "I've been baconated."
Some of the examples from "Working with Words: A Concise Handbook for Media Writers and Editors"
Band-Aid (bandage)
Coke (cola)
Crock-Pot (electric earthenware cooker)
Dumpster (trash bin)
Frisbee (flying disk)
Jeep (four-wheel-drive vehicle)
Jacuzzi (whirlpool bath)
Kitty Litter (cat-box filler)
Popsicle (flavored ice on a stick)
Q-Tips (cotton swabs)
Sheetrock (gypsum wallboard)
Styrofoam (foam plastic)
Velcro (adhesive fastener)
Xerox (photocopy)
I spent way too much time looking for links for all these trademarked companies, so I hope you guys appreciate it.
