There was news yesterday that HP has file for three new trademarks for mobile phones. This gives hope to the few loyal Palm fans that the Palm brand will live on under HP’s umbrella.
The Palm brand might be loaded with baggage at this point, but the name has always been a favorite of mine. It’s a short, single syllable, real English word that suggests the nature of the product — amazing technology in the palm of one’s hand. I hope that under HP management the Palm brand can shed some of its baggage and allow this great name to shine once again.
And while the new new names that HP applied for aren’t Pre (yes, we’re biased), I still like them. Gyst, Myte, and Veer are all great brand names. I applaud HP’s desire to carry on with the single syllable (mostly) real English word naming strategy. However, I do worry on their behalf. They are going to find it very difficult to find many names that fit this style and are also legally available. Especially when a market-leading competitor has the same naming convention.
It should be fun to watch the HP/Palm naming and branding story unfold.
