Names

Built to Deceive: When organizations intend to mislead us

October 14, 2010

Tweet What would you think about an organization that intentionally mislead its potential clients? – That advertised itself as providing a range of products or services, when in fact it only offered one? – That presented itself as being here to “help you”, when in reality its sole purpose is to fulfill its own mission, [...]

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MAC’s Apology for Juarez Makeup Line: Effective and Authentic

August 5, 2010

Tweet It’s not often that I get to follow up a post about an organization’s disappointing actions with a post celebrating that very organization’s next step. Given how easy it is to pay attention to and be outraged by the bad actions, it is all the more important to devote some energy to positive resolutions– [...]

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What Do Sarah Palin, Bill Marriott and John Templeton, Jr. Have In Common?

November 17, 2008

Tweet They are all damaging some organization’s reputation, by causing "collateral reputation damage ® ". Sarah Palin is causing collateral reputation damage to Palin Wine. Bill Marriott is causing collateral reputation damage to The Marriott Hotels & Resorts Corporation. John Templeton Jr., MD, is causing collateral reputation damage to the John Templeton Foundation . Palin, [...]

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Faking an Identity: How Inauthentic Organizations Dress Up

October 31, 2008

Tweet Special Halloween Edition In the spirit of Halloween, a time of costumes, treats and tricks, I’m inspired to start a list of ways that organizations dress themselves up so that they appear to be what they are not. Some of these terms and concepts are familiar. Some terms I’ve invented (4, 5, 6) and [...]

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Fake Names for Authentic Organizations? Thornberg & Forester

July 3, 2008

Tweet Is this organization being authentic by giving itself a fake name? photofrom digitalcontnentproducer.com There’s a funny little news tidbit in Sunday’s New York Times Business section, right below Tommy Hilfiger’s engagement announcement (as if that’s business news?). It’s a paragraph about a design & communications firm, Thornberg & Forester . Neither Thornberg nor Forester [...]

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Honey is really bee vomit: Why we should label “NonProfit” Organizations “For-Purpose” Organizations

March 28, 2008

Tweet “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” Would this advice make any sense if, instead, it was: “You catch more flies with bee vomit than vinegar”? Heck no. That’s why it makes a difference when organizations have positive, attractive, and descriptive names. Names matter Names convey identity. They can be crafted to emphasize [...]

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Authentic Organizational Partnerships: Co-Branding and The Abercrombie & Fitch Trauma Center

March 27, 2008

Tweet (photo from TheConsumerist) In an earlier post we considered how the new name of the Abercrombie & Fitch Trauma Center might affect the Center’s employees. Here, let’s consider why a partnership between Abercrombie & Fitch and the Columbus Children’s Hospital is inauthentic. And, let’s consider what criteria should be used to evaluate whether a [...]

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