My contest to rename Panama came up with some good entries. I choose the best name from about 40 submissions:
Jon Roig submitted that name, and it did pretty well in the user poll. I think it's a good brand name - it's descriptive, and not too narrow. It's sounds cleaner and broader than AdCenter (from Microsoft), and it will easily be identified as distinct, yet competitive to the leading brand, Google's AdWords.
Next step: I'm going to email Terry Semel, and my contacts within Yahoo with a persuasive argument that they really need to create a brand for Panama, and offer Yahoo! AdMarket as a suggestion. No I haven't checked the trademark database, but the point is to get Yahoo! to do something positive.
PS. Jon Ruig, please leave a comment on this post, pointing to a place where I can find your email to send you your winnings.
Labels: contest, panama, yahoo
¶ 2/06/2007
My contest to re-brand Yahoo Panama is still going on (vote here). I'll announce the winner next week.
If you doubt the need to rename Yahoo's ad system, take a look at this:
Thru Nov, 2006 after some of initial ballyhoo around the Panama launch, the odd construction: "Yahoo Overture" was out-trending the more normal sounding: "Yahoo Panama".
And Google AdWords dominates them both...
Labels: branding, contest, panama, yahoo
¶ 1/30/2007
A bunch of good entries so far for the Contest to Rename Yahoo! Panama. I'll keep the contest open for entries until next Monday.
People seem to have a wry sense of humor about Yahoo! You can still add your own entries, and have a shot at winning a $100 Amazon Gift Certficate. Just add your ideas as comments here.
Here are some of the entries so far.
- Adhoo!
- Yahoo! ADwords
- Yahoo! ADvance
- Yahoo Pandemonium
- Adtomi
- Overture
- Y!Advertising
- ^~Y~^, the artist formerly known as GoTo
Keep 'em coming! Yahoo is desperately awaiting the results!
Labels: contest, panama, yahoo
¶ 1/16/2007
I'm starting a contest to rename Panama - Yahoo's version of Google AdWords. The winner will get a $100 Amazon gift certificate.
Yahoo's new ad system was code-named Panama, and as Andrew Goodman points out, that's becoming the de-facto name people use for it.
The reason people use Panama is because it's far more memorable than Yahoo's other names. Basically, since Yahoo decided to eliminate the name "Overture", they've had essentially no branding whatsoever.
Instead Yahoo decided to use the equivalent of internal business unit names for their outbound marketing. Is "Search Marketing Solutions" a brand? I don't think so.
Here's what you have to do:
- Come up with a good brand name for Yahoo's ad system.
- Put it in the comments of this post with your name or url so you can be contacted if you win.
If I get some good entries, I'll put a poll up which everyone can vote on, and I'll use the poll result as guidance for choosing the winner for Yahoo's new branding. The first submitter will get the prize. And then I'll forward the best choices onto Yahoo.
I know you can do better than Yahoo! Marketing Solutions and Yahoo! Search Marketing
C'mon - the bar is really low, and Yahoo needs our help.
Labels: contest, panama, yahoo
¶ 1/12/2007
