QuintilesIMS to What???
In over the transom comes an email from a colleague saying basically: “Whoops! We gotta ’nother one.”
He knows I’m a skeptic about our industry’s ability to brand well and the ridiculous amounts of money spent with agencies who produce you know what for outcomes. His note had a link to IQVIA.
I’ve written Outsell analysis for clients about brand names. I’ve been public in blogs. I’ve had confidential advisory calls with clients, and facilitated meetings with exec teams about their brands. I know a good brand from a bad one without a lot of metrics, though a fan of brand metrics and reputation measurement, too. But what I cannot take is the dumb names that our industry persistently produces.
Quintiles is a good brand. IMS Health was a great brand. I’ve known that firm since it was part of the D&B family — moons ago during the infamous Bob Weissman era. A visionary and executive ahead of his time, he rolled up some of the best brands in the industry, Moody’s, Nielsen, IMSHealth, OAG, an investment in Gartner. Stalwarts all of them. And in and out of ownership since then, these brands still rock. The IMSHealth brand persisted, too. Well known. Well regarded, even though it needed to modernize some of its solutions.
And I get that after last year’s merger QuintilesIMSHealth had to do something. I understand the company wanting to create a unique and integrated identity. But IQVIA? In all caps? I don’t even know how to begin pronouncing it. I’m speechless. If you go to their website, there’s actually a little box to click to hear how to pronounce it! SAY IT WITH US! OMG! If you have to teach the public how to pronounce a name it is not a good name.
My first reaction when I clicked through to the announcement and saw it was “ick’ via.”
Not what they intended, I’m sure — just like I know the folks at RELX never intended anyone to say relics.
IQ-via. Is that for the Intelligence Quotient way? The Way of the Intelligence Quotient? Or I-QueVee-A? Huh? What does any of that mean? The first two make no sense. The third sounds like a drug. I get they sell to big pharma but that is no excuse for a drug-sounding name. Any way you cut it, this name is a wreck.
I looked for IQVIA online. It doesn’t stand for anything that I can find. (Remember poor Bombora?) But aside from a numerologist saying IQVIA has a life path of four or an astrological analysis of the acronym that led nowhere, it means nothing. I see lots and lots of quotes saying the announcement is a defining moment for the firm. This concerns me.
I get that new brands are an exciting thing. But who tested this? Gosh I hope they didn’t pay a lot for that name. I’m not a fan and neither is my colleague who ended his note to me with, “Another company adopting a name with no industry/legacy meaning.”
Ouch. Anyone out there in data, information, analytics who’s listening: Please save the big bucks and call a little firm whose work I know and love — BrandZoo — before you come up with a name like this. Or give me a call and share your name with me before you go live. Clients do it all the time. I guarantee while we’re a premium brand, that call will be a smidge compared to what you paid the wonks who come up with those awful names.
Please. Please. I’ll promise to keep my feedback confidential, and you can catch me before you go live. I don’t want to say, “Ick.” But if I have to, I will.