Acronyms: an easy place to get lost. Image:sparkytheneoncat (flickr)
by Eli Altman
Over the weekend I was interviewed by Jacki Lyden on NPR’s Weekend Edition about the Wisconsin Tourism Federation. Recently they got tired of WTF jokes and changed their name to the Tourist Federation of Wisconsin (TFW). I don’t see what the big deal is, but apparently the kind folks at the TFW weren’t too happy about what the ‘F’ stood for and decided to shuffle some letters. That said, I thought it would be a good idea to go over a few points about using acronyms as company names.
1. Acronyms are really hard to own
Good luck finding a three-letter acronym that doesn’t already stand for something else. Sometimes there is no real conflict here, but who’s to say that someone doesn’t use your previously virgin acronym for their baby seal clubbing operation a few years from now? Speaking of seals, the World Wildlife Foundation and The World Wrestling Federation were locked in a three-year legal battle over the use of WWF. Was it worth it? I doubt it.
2. Acronyms are the witness protection program of naming
A name is supposed to create some differentiation or draw some attention in a positive way. Acronyms are really more of a way to blend in and go unnoticed. Sure they can sound official, but there are plenty of other ways to sound official. Almost every law firm, medical device and military procedure has an acronym. If you do happen to have a new medical device, you should want to stand out, not fit in. What’s the point of picking a name that makes you one of the trees in the forest and then spending your whole marketing budget trying to stand out? If you’re not naming a law firm or medical device, why would you want your name to sound like one?
3. Pick good letters
Some acronyms you say and some you spell. When you see REI, you spell out Ar-EE-Eye, When you see FIAT, you say Fee-aht. If your acronym can stand alone and work by itself without a description line, there’s some hope. SAAB and FIAT are great examples of this. SAAB stands for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolag. While this might sound like a purring tiger in Swedish, it sounds like grinding gears in English. By using the acronym SAAB, they get to keep their history and most of their brand equity intact while having a name that most American second graders can pronounce. Not a bad idea if you plan on selling cars and planes outside of Stockholm. Of course, just because you can say it, doesn’t mean it sounds good. But having a pronounceable name is definitely a good place to start.
4. When life hands you lemons…
Sure, WTF stands for What the Fuck, but TFW stands for Tactical Fighter Wing. Acronyms are everywhere—that’s the world we live in. Personally, I think WTF was a blessing in disguise. Sure, it’s easy to play armchair quarterback on this one, but there was plenty of potential for WTF To Do In Wisconsin brochures and other ways to turn a perceived negative into a positive. It’s not like they had bad intentions with the name. More importantly, you can’t please everyone. If people were coming in and complaining about the name, I think they would have been better served coming up with a witty response than changing their name.
Oh well, the past is the past. I guess the next time I’m looking for a good bratwurst in Sheboygan, I’ll have to ask the TFW instead of the WTF.
Story about naming on NPR the other day - Semantic Argument October 6, 2009
[...] here’s a link to the related blog post at A Hundred [...]
Roondell White December 8, 2009
the biggest victims of naming by acronym, in my opinion, are non-profits. my senior year all urban and environmental policy majors had to do internships at community organizations. the names of the places where we worked: l.a.a.n.e., l.a.c.a.n, c.h.i.r.l.a., a.c.o.r.n., p.i.c.o., d.a.r.t., etc.
Robert January 24, 2011
Acronyms are not just abbreviations. By definition, they spell something. =;>)
Eli Altman January 24, 2011
thanks for reading! here’s where we got our info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acronym_and_initialism
“Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations that are formed using the initial components in a phrase or name. These components may be individual letters (as in CEO) or parts of words (as in Benelux and Ameslan). There is no universal agreement on the precise definition of the various terms (see nomenclature), nor on written usage (see orthographic styling). While popular in recent English, such abbreviations have historical use in English as well as other languages. As a type of word formation process, acronyms and initialisms are viewed as a subtype of blending.”
Robert January 24, 2011
I love discussing this stuff, and I respect your response. =:>)
Wikipedia is usually an excellent resource. However, as more and more people misuse a word – like “acronym”,” it tends to become accepted (albeit incorrect) vernacular. In my experience, Wikipedia tends to favor common vernacular as a style guideline over the plain ol’ dictionary, hence their self-confessed vagueness above. =;>)
As a Berkeley English grad and a professional marketing content writer for more than 15 years, here is what I know regarding Abbreviations vs. Acronyms:
An acronym must spell something pronounceable, and it CAN be a made -up word. For example, “RADAR” stands for “Radio Distance and Ranging” It was, in fact, a made-up word years ago. It’s a classic acronym.
On the other hand, “CEO” is an abbreviation. It is pronounced as “C-E-O” and not “Seeo.”
“WTF” falls under the same category. They are abbreviations.
Keep up the good work!
Respectfully,
Robert M.
Mill Valley
Eli Altman January 25, 2011
since when is playing by the rules any fun?
this is the approach people with “english” backgrounds usually take. i get it. i understand the love of rules. but from a linguistic perspective, usage eventually dictates definition. this is why we have loan words and foreign words in english. if we waited for the powers that be to **approve changes in usage, we’d still be speaking middle english.
Robert January 25, 2011
Point taken! =:>)
Robert January 25, 2011
In this case, it’s not necessarily about love of rules, but love of the mechanics of the language and the ways it CAN be changed. To many of us, it’s all ABOUT fun! To wit: It would kinda take the fun out of acronyms if ANY combination of letters qualified as one.
And anyway, what’s not fun about Middle English? Just kidding. =:>D
Keep up the good work!
RHM