Rebrand: Coruscant Ltd. or Jumping Armadillo?

[JonRB]

I could do with some opinions from PHers.

Way back when I started writing software as a hobby I called myself Jumping Armadillo Software. However, when I incorporated a software company back in 1999 I wanted it to be a bit more serious so I incorporated as Coruscant Ltd.

I kept the Jumping Armadillo brand running for several years after that for my AutoInsult product with separate websites, but it was clear I didn't have enough products to support two brands so a few years ago I brought everything under the Coruscant Ltd. banner and made AutoInsult freeware around the same time, thinking it might act as viral advertising.

Trouble is nobody much seems to be interested in "AutoInsult by Coruscant Ltd." these days, whilst back in 1999 "AutoInsult by Jumping Armadillo Software" was very popular. I can't help wondering if Coruscant Ltd. is just plain boring as a company name.

So I can't help wondering whether I should revive the brand or even change the name of the company to Jumping Armadillo Ltd.

I do have serious business interests that Coruscant Ltd. covers too - bespoke software and consultancy, and also a SysAdmin tool (ie. more serious software) so I am in two minds about the rename. Will it hurt my more serious interests to have a more frivolous name or do you think nobody will mind / care?

Let me know what you think.

[The_Burg]

Check out b3ta.com

I think your posting on the wrong forum for that sort of advice.

Best of luck.

(Not being rude orpedantic here by the way).

My suggestion otherwsie register 'The Festering Badger road kill.com, worse the name the better the hitz

[alexkp]

Where did you get the name Curuscant from? If it was Starwars I suggest you might want to avoid the wrath of Lucasfilm, as they can be somewhat litigious...

[Pigeon]

To me it sounds more like a lighting outfit than anything to do with software. Personally I reckon all company names ought to indicate the company's business, so that's another plus for JA as it has "Software" on the end of it.

[Rob-C]

Whats to stop coruscant ltd from marketing a product range flippant software under the "jumping armadildo" brand name? Use the J-A name as a trademark rather than a company name?

[Hilts]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Didn't some guy called Mike Rowe run into some bother with his site mikerowesoft.com ?

You'd think microsh1t would have better things to do.

[Hilts]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Didn't some guy called Mike Rowe run into some bother with his site mikerowesoft.com ?

You'd think microsh1t would have better things to do.

[alexkp]

Hilts said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Didn't some guy called Mike Rowe run into some bother with his site mikerowesoft.com ?

You'd think microsh1t would have better things to do.

Quite possibly - but having taken long and expensive legal action to protect a brand that I owned I can understand their attitude. Brand is everything, and huge investments are made to develop and protect it. The last thing you need is someone trying to be clever and use your brand for their own purposes.

Sometimes the Corporation might come across as overly zealous, but let one person get away with it and the floodgates can open.

[JonRB]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Yes, it is a Star Wars reference. The company was incorporated in May 1999, which was before The Phantom Menace was released. That was the first film that actually mentioned Coruscant by name; up until then it had been an obscure reference in Timothy Zahn's 'Heir To The Empire' books.

There is a good Wiki page on Coruscant that says
"The planet first appeared in the Expanded Universe and was called 'Coruscant' for the first time in Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire. Coruscant was first seen on screen in the 1997 Special Edition release of Return of the Jedi, and the X-wing series of computer games. Coruscant was then seen in The Phantom Menace. There is a speeder chase through the skies of Coruscant in Attack of the Clones that eventually leads to a nightclub in the bowels of Coruscant's Uscru Entertainment District. Coruscant is seen yet again in Revenge of the Sith as part of the Battle of Coruscant near the end of the Clone Wars, where a large part of the plot centers on the Republic Senate and the Jedi Temple."

I'm well aware of the threat from LucasArts - it has been a potential issue for the past 7 years and is another thing that makes me wonder if rebranding might be a good idea.

As for "Coruscant Ltd. trading as Jumping Armadillo Sofware" - yes, that is an option and one that has occurred to me already. If I did decide to rebrand then this would be a good first step rather than diving straight in with a company rename.

If I relaunch my more frivolous freeware / shareware products as Jumping Armadillo Software then I am back to the previous problem of not having enough products to support two brands and two websites - the reason I dropped 'dillo in the first place.

Edited by JonRB on Sunday 2nd July 09:50

[andymadmak]

If you were my client I would be advising you strongly to dump the Coruscant brand completely.
The Jumping Armadillo brand is far more engaging, the other one makes you look like a Star wars geek!

JA has immediate appeal, lends itself to some excellent marketing plays, and is the one that sticks in your head.
Make everything Jumping Armadillo. Don't worry about the customers who are more accustomed to Coruscant. I am sure they will surprise you by their acceptance of the JA brand - you may even find renewed interest in your products from customers who "already think they know what you do" once they are all rebranded as JA.

Just my 2pence worth. -

Andy

[LRdriver II]

I cant even pronounce Corsucant... JA is alot more cool and "fresh". stick with that..only benefit from the Coruscant is that it has no language, hence more internationally usable.

[JonRB]

andymadmak said:

If you were my client I would be advising you strongly to dump the Coruscant brand completely.
The Jumping Armadillo brand is far more engaging, the other one makes you look like a Star wars geek!

Hmm, very good point.

So if, say, an Investment Bank like Barclarys Capital, JP Morgan, etc. were considering taking on a Software Consultant for a project, do you think they'd be put off at all by my company being called Jumping Armadillo Ltd. rather than Coruscant Ltd.? That's my main concern really.

LRdriver II said:

I cant even pronounce Corsucant... JA is alot more cool and "fresh".

That's also a very good point.

Edited by JonRB on Sunday 2nd July 12:26

[andymadmak]

JonRB said:

So if, say, an Investment Bank like Barclarys Capital, JP Morgan, etc. were considering taking on a Software Consultant for a project, do you think they'd be put off at all by my company being called Jumping Armadillo Ltd. rather than Coruscant Ltd.? That's my main concern really.

I can't see anyone being put off by it. You can be very clever with the branding (far more so than with Coruscant) - people like that spark of creativity and originality. Dare I say it but in my experience even big companies like to see something out of the ordinary from time to time, and the people that run big companies like to smile from time to time too. The fact is that Jumping Armadillo IS a memorable name. Just imagine the advertising and branding possibilities!
-- Jumping Armadillo Software - does exactly what it says on the shell! OK, so thats a crib (and not a very good one at that) but the brand has potential to be a "stand out" - and thats a real plus point when you are tendering with scores of other software companies for a big contract. If all it does is get the client to say "why did you call it Jumping Armadillo?" then it will have done it's job.

Andy

[o.versteer]

For what it's worth I think andymadmak is talking a lot of sense. Coruscant DOES make you look a bit like a Star Wars nerd, has potential litigation issues down the line, and nobody knows how to say it. I'd say go with the JA brand.

[lightningghost]

I would go for JA. The other option is to give it a name with a funny/rude acronym, such as Armadillo Shell Software.

[victormeldrew]

Another vote for Jumping Armadillo.

Coruscant does have a geeky aspect to it, which could be offputting.

[CommanderJameson]

Armadillos are cute (and crunchy on the outside, smooth on the inside - aaaaarmadillos).

Another shout for Jumping Armadillo here. With a suitably amusing-yet-memorable logo.

[radar love]

Try abbreviating them, as I just have. A 'dillo as opposed to a 'cant?

Another endorsement for JA I think.

[chris.mapey]

My vote goes to the JA brand.

My first reaction regarding "Coruscant" was that it's a complaints site set up about Corus the steel maker. (ie Corus can't)

I did not immediately think Star Wars...

HTH

Chris

[JonRB]

Thanks folks. Looks like a rebrand is going to be the way to go then.

One final thing concerns me - Armadillos only jump when they are panicked / scared / startled. Is this going to imply that my company is in a permanent state of mild panic and always reacting to problems rather than anticipating them, do you think?