InfoComm name change (*sigh*)

ericmedley

Must have been a boring week in the marketing department.

InfoComm announces name change

the long way

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/164320/164320-6313876580246568963?midToken=AQHCQ9Bz58G-VA&trk=eml-b2_anet_digest_of_digests-hero-12-view~discussion&trkEmail=eml-b2_anet_digest_of_digests-hero-12-view~discussion-null-5q1lh7~j84rerre~dx-null-communities~group~discussion&lipi=urn:li:page:email_b2_anet_digest_of_digests;yr/kB3NVTaut8bb2a1bQ7g==

John Nagy

Without a LINKEDIN account, can't see this.

[Deleted User]

http://www.avnetwork.com/avnetwork/out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new/127195

ericmedley

Interesting. That's how the link came to me via the InfoComm spam server. alas and anon..

a_riot42

Can't say I'm a huge fan of the clumsy acronym AVIXA. Where's the accent? Avixa, or aVixa, or avIxa, or avixA. InfoComm wasn't great, but at least it wasn't another annoying acronym (AAA).
Paul

ericmedley

I feel name changes usually indicate a realization by the creating organization. 1) News/Advertising usually needs something new to talk about to get people's attention. A name change indicates there is nothing really new to talk about. Advertisers feel like a change in the name of something indicates a new subtext to frame the discussion - when in fact the only thing that's changed is the name. and 2) There's some kind of legacy issue with the old name that the company is trying to distance itself from. (think Pnaja for example)

InfoComm has placed themselves as the governing body for all things AV commercial. I feel like they are finally getting some blow-back on the arbitrary nature of this fact and their recent efforts to expand the arbitrary-ness of it.

I feel like the new name stems from elements of both.

John Nagy

"The team knew a name change could be a marketing nightmare, but, after exploring many options with a variety of branding experts, keeping the InfoComm name was like ?putting lipstick on a pig.? The AVIXA name reflects the new world of AV technology and that the association has a new meaning and a new purpose."

This implies a deeper issue they aren't discussing much publicly. Poor choice of words, or inner conflict? Calling your historical name "lipstick" and your organization a "pig". Huh. So now the pig is going without lipstick, all is better. What?

Joe Hebert

Aside from the name change to something that sounds like a pharmaceutical company how does it affect anything? CTS is still called CTS and from what I've read our CTS certifications and requirements aren't changing. Just wondering what the big deal is or why anyone cares.

ericmedley

Joe Hebert wrote: »

Aside from the name change to something that sounds like a pharmaceutical company how does it affect anything? CTS is still called CTS and from what I've read our CTS certifications and requirements aren't changing. Just wondering what the big deal is or why anyone cares.

My prediction on this is that shoe will drop later. I agree with you that nothing has fundamentally changed. It's just my experience that the life cycle of this kind of marketing move is that there's the implementation phase. Next comes the soul searching and hand wringing of why it hasn't produced any effect which is then followed by putting teeth in the program which drives certifications. I'm sure for most it'll just be the typical yearly roll-over. I quit printing business cards because I was tired of constantly changing the letters after my name.