Why 'Bing'? Why Not 'Sift'? 18 comments
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Microsoft just announced its new search engine Bing, and it is going to spend a reported $80 million to $100 million on an advertising campaign to familiarize consumers with the brand. But was it the best name it could have picked?
Asked about the name onstage at the D7 conference, CEO Steve Ballmer admits: “I am not what you would call the creative side of life. Short matters. Being able to verb up can be helpful.” But he also says, “We wanted something that unambiguously says search.”
Does it? To me, Bing says nothing. I think a better name from the ones Microsoft was supposedly considering would have been Sift. Other candidates were Kumo, which is project’s codename, or Hook. Which would you have gone with?
What Would You Have Named Microsoft’s New Search Engine?(web poll)
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But, I would have expected something more next generation, like a search system that integrates with an operating system that is tied to a mainframe from which your data (search/knowledge parameters) can be compiled and updated as the system could infer where and what your interest are and therefore enable a more unique web experience.
As in, BING! Just what I’ve always wanted….
More often than not there is in a manner of speaking, two sides to the same story. That of the newspaper and that of the source, or that you’ve taken the time to read a story and enacted a search from which further interaction is made to gain knowledge. It is that basis of search (for knowledge) that a next generation search engine could function as.
As in, BING! I told you so?
"I met this hot chick in a bar last night....Later I binged her."
Any first reactions as to what this means?
(Naturally you thought it was comparable to: "Later I googled her"--right?)
"Bing Zing Bong" doesn't sound Microsoft. If it's like their other introductions try "Flop".
At least "google" meant the number represented by 1 followed by a hundred zeroes (inconceivably large before the recent bailouts). Naming the search engine "Google" implied you could find any piece of information you want in the huge chaos of the internet.
By contrast, "Bing" just sounds like Microsoft gave up trying to find a marketing idea and took the first available option.
Really, "Bing!" is pretty bad. How about "Chaching!" or does Rallys own that? How about "Fling!" as in "Let's have one!" Why not something multi-cultural, like "Gringo!" or "Deng Xiaoping!" or even just cultural like "Sing!"
I think marketing should have told them that then "ing" sound doesn't put consumers in the mood to search, and the exclamation point is lame. Okay, here's my vote: "Shugah" -- the phonetic of sugar, kind of. It connotes happiness, love, victory, multiculturalnessality and earthiness. When you get your search results, it reads, "Look what your Shugah has found for you!"
"Spin" would have been a better name.
reinharden
On May 29 03:42 PM Larrysyr wrote:
> At least "google" meant the number represented by 1 followed by a
> hundred zeroes (inconceivably large before the recent bailouts).
> Naming the search engine "Google" implied you could find any piece
> of information you want in the huge chaos of the internet.