The Phone House
Is what they call themselves in sweden, at least I imagine its them as they have identical branding.
From this morning customers at Carphone Warehouse will be able to buy Virgin broadband, digital TV and phones from a special in-store services area showcasing the company. Virgin claims the in-store services area will operate as a "one-stop shop for all [the customer's] communication needs", which is what we thought a Carphone …
I know this article was short on analysis of what this announcement means, but was it right signing off on "What's increasingly clear is that the company needs a better name, and something less associated with a product that hasn't existed for 10 years."?
Firstly, as the story isn't about corporate branding but a change in the products offered, it's not that appropriate. Personally, I would have liked to have read a bit more details on stuff like what impact this is going to have on CW's own broadband service, what's in it for Virgin etc etc.- i.e. what the story was meant to be about
Secondly, changing a company name - especially when it's a household one - is a tricky business and doesn't always work. Sure, CW haven't sold carphones for ages - but given that I think you would have a hard time finding people unaware that of what CW flogs, and as marketing publications claim it's a strong brand, what's the point?
The name 'Carphone Warehouse' is only used in the UK, it is known througout europe as 'The Phone House' (the logo is identical, only the text is different). If memory serves me correctly, the name wasn't changed, for fear of people thinking that it was not the same company; as it is an established, well known brand here.