[WeatherManNX01]

Quote

RadioShack is getting a marketing makeover. Starting August 6, the venerable electronics retailer will change its name to "The Shack," a rebranding move designed to shed the last-century association with creaky radio technology and embrace today's digital wireless world. To celebrate the name change, RadioShack will conduct a "Shack Summer Netogether," a live event featuring two 17-foot laptop computers in New York and San Francisco. Equipped with Webcams, the gargantuan notebooks will allow live video and audio exchanges between the two cities.

PC World

Ick. Count me as one who does not like this name change.

[Bill]

Count me second. I recently went into one of their stores at the local mall.
There really isn't much left there in the do-it-yourself electronics. Very sad.

[Tom]

They probably used the same marketing team that came up with the SYFY channel name!!!! lol

[sevnson_71]

I give 'em three years to Chapter 11, max. The one thing that made them stand out were the kits and components. My dad bought me so many of those breadboard electronic kits as a kid. Yeah, I was the man I had the Armatron True it didn't work that well and was kind cheap but it was cool. One of my first computers was a TRS-80(an upgrade from the Timex Sinclair).

Once they started ditching things like that they became just another fish with a couple Brookstone-ish gee whiz gadgets for the box stores to eat.

[Apocalypse]

Tom, on Aug 3 2009, 07:40 PM, said:

They probably used the same marketing team that came up with the SYFY channel name!!!! lol

I was about to say. Remarketing yourself ends up with most people saying "I don't like that." People usually hate change.

In fact, I just watched some TNG at a friends house and the same thing got brought up whenever the SyFy logo appeared on screen. The prevailing opinion is bad.

[shinkai]

How the hell is it a "laptop" if it's 17 feet?!

But yeah, the name change is stupid. It's a rare thing for me to go into that place (can't bring myself to use the new name) anymore because it's 90% cellphone crap with a few cables and some batteries thrown in.

[aklaus]

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame.

[JoannaPoe]

I loved the part in their press release where they said "many of our customers already refer to us simply as 'the Shack.'" Really? REALLY? Who are these people?

Apparently they're not actually changing the signs or anything, it's just a stupid marketing thing.

[WeatherManNX01]

Yeah, and the commercials still use the name RadioShack after the "The Shack" identifier. So yeah, it's marketing and not rebranding.

[JoannaPoe]

Turns out Pizza Hut is doing the same thing, and calling itself "The Hut" in some of it's marketing. At least they skipped the step of going to "PizzaHut" first.

[sevnson_71]

JoannaPoe, on Aug 24 2009, 02:19 PM, said:

Turns out Pizza Hut is doing the same thing, and calling itself "The Hut" in some of it's marketing. At least they skipped the step of going to "PizzaHut" first.

Only one flaw with that type of brand association with a pizza chain....

[tesral]

I rebranded them years ago, only it wasn't "Shack" Still starts with "S" however.. They are not even worth it for the occasional switch anymore. Odd batteries is about the last reason left to darken their door.