Monday, Monday. So good to me?

For those of us branding guys old enough to remember back to 2002, the launch of the name Monday was a major debacle. It was created for PricewaterhouseCoopers’ spinoff of its consulting business. Long story short, the players backed off and discarded the name amidst an immediate barrage of jokes and criticism.

The name was created during what was known as the ‘B-to-B Internet Revolution.’  Staid, established companies and startups tried to disassociate themselves from the old ways of doing business. The PwC consulting business wanted to say that it was not ‘your father’s Oldsmobile,’ and understood ‘what’s going on.’  Monday evoked a new day and a new approach to helping a new kind of client. But the industry wasn’t ready for a fanciful name. It got slammed, and soon thereafter PwC revised its plan and sold its consulting arm to IBM.

Interestingly, in 2012, DaPulse, a web and mobile work management platform company, changed its name to Monday.com. It speaks to a better way to create a collaborative workspace. While the heritage and character of the two different Monday companies are quite different, the meaning behind the name is not so different.

Sometimes names may seem odd and out of place at the outset, but with the right nurturing they become quite successful. Think Apple vs. Microsoft. Or Amazon vs. Barnes and Noble. Or Ally vs. GMAC. Or Zeal as a credit union name in counterpoint to names such as PenFed.

The choice of every new name requires an analysis of which type will work best—descriptive names vs. suggestive names vs. fanciful names. Each has its purpose. Of course, names that are ‘out there’ face greater scrutiny and risk. An edgy names is not right for every company or product, but for those that dare, there can be substantial rewards in the long term.

I’ve learned that sometimes it pays to ignore the initial public reaction. Social media has become very vocal about new names, usually to dump on those that are unusual.

I learned that working on Comcast’s naming of Xfinity. Social media had a heyday in 2010 when the name was launched. Comcast had a really bad brand reputation back then, and the reaction to any new name was going to be harsh. But this new sub-brand would provide the company with a new voice and way forward.

Senior management liked the Xfinity name because it was a bit edgy, and it spoke to ‘a world of infinite entertainment.’ So, Comcast shrugged off the initial barrage, and now Xfinity has a seat in sports arenas and stadiums around the world.

Perhaps the newest example of a company that has shrugged off bad reviews is U.K. asset  manager, Standard Life Aberdeen. It faced a raft of mockery on Twitter when it changed its name to abrdn, all lower case letters but still intended to be pronounced Aberdeen. It appears that they are set on going ahead with their new moniker.

So, in retrospect, would the intended PwC spinoff and the Monday name have succeeded if it ignored the naming pundits and stayed the course? We’ll never know.