Name Critic rates Zune

Zune

Technical
Presentation
Our Rating
4
6
Background:

Well everybody in naming has been writing about this name, if for no other reason than so few big new brand names are launched into a wide consumer space nowadays with the muscle of a Microsoft behind them. And even fewer with a name that makes you scratch your head. First of all, your brain has to think that it rhymes with what.. Oh June, Oh Ok, now I can pronounce it. Sort of a long way around because you might think it rhymes with Tune (Tewn – British Style) or is it two syllables like Nike (Ny kee – American style) whick makes it sound like Zunni. And this is where you have to be aware of the world around you when naming. A big war is in progress in the Middle East, and the allied forces are often fighting with the Sunni rebels (many times written, albeit incorrectly, as Zuni rebels because of the Arabic pronunciation). Or maybe this is a product from the Microsoft rebels, as opposed to the conventional types who would have probably called it MS Tune!

But what is a Zune. Sure with Microsoft’s money they will eventually brand it.. but it really doesn’t sound like it naturally fits as a device, a service or a group of people, or…?? Reminds us of the problem the San Jose Clash had, one of the first MLS soccer teams in the USA. No one could figure out what a clash was. Or what it looked like? or what color it was? Or how to play or market off the name. Interestingly, that also reflected on the field as a team that could barely play. But once they changed their name to the San Jose Earthquakes (disclosure: with help of this name critic) marketing really got revved up and the fans had a lot of fun with the idea. And the team starting winning games and the league!

Same story here. What is a Zune? A Zoo Tune perhaps? Nah. Coming Zune to a music store near you? Nah. It is a mathematical shape automatically generated by a Windows screen saver as you can see in its logo.

Of course, another very big disappointment is the fact that Microsoft did not get a name with an available .com domain. Some Spanish individual living in London is going to get a lot of hits on his website.. and a lot of music fans are going to be scratching their heads. For more information, please visit www.zune.net – notice it is a .net name!

PS. They could have had fun with a Zune buggy logo…that zunes all over the internet looking for your answers.

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See his industry naming commentary (where he takes a critical look at names) via the blog on this site