When Steve Jobs announced in January that Apple’s new tablet would be called the iPad, some fans ridiculed the name, saying it conjured up images of feminine hygiene products rather than cutting-edge mobile gadgetry.
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Two months later, branding experts say the name has punchy appeal and that jokes won’t deter women — or men, for that matter — from buying Apple’s tablet computer, which goes on sale in the U.S. Apr. 3. The minute you hear it, you know who brought it to you, how it’s going to work, that it’s high quality, and how it even looks, said Hayes Roth, chief marketing officer for brand consulting firm Landor Associates. The name does all that in just four letters. That’s amazing.
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The i prefix on product names has become a convention that many consumers associate with Apple. Products including the iPod digital music player, iPhone, and iMac computers employ the designation. Apple bought the iPad trademark from Fujitsu for an undisclosed sum, according to records with the U.S. Patent Trademark Office. The iPad will be capable of wirelessly serving up Web pages, e-mail, music, TV, and electronic books and periodicals.
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Businesswomen in Silicon Valley said jokes about the iPad’s name don’t ring true. Esther Dyson, a longtime computer industry commentator, said the feminine hygiene reference to iPad wasn’t her initial reaction. I guess I have been i-conditioned by Apple, she says.
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3G Wireless iPad Models Due in April
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Jennifer Jones, a veteran Valley marketing executive and creator of a series of podcasts called Marketing Voices, says the iPad name works as part of a product line. I did not think of the feminine side of it.
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Apple plans initially to sell three iPad models, starting at $499, with built-in support for Wi-Fi wireless networking. Three additional models that can communicate over high-speed 3G wireless…