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There’s nothing quite as enjoyable as when a corporate entity traipses down the rabbit hole of groupthink and marketing, eventually resulting in some ill-advised attempt at rebranding that goes predictably haywire. Take, for example, the latest developments over at Nickelodeon and the Sci Fi Channel. In an attempt to cater to the tween market, Nick has revealed plans to release a older, sluttier Dora The Explorer doll, which has unsurprisingly been met with general disdain across the board (you can add me to the “Anti” camp after having seen a ten year old girl at Coscto yesterday sporting whorish lipstick and a fashion ensemble to match).
Meanwhile, the Sci Fi Channel has decided to shake things up as well. Come June, the network won’t be known as Sci Fi, but as… Syfy. That one just gets a big scratching head from me. I understand some of the thought process behind changing the name — Syfy can be trademarked, the name isn’t as stringently tied to the Sci Fi genre, etc. — but seriously, it just reeks of the sort of corporate decision making that stems from countless hours of mind numbing marketing powwows and glossy presentations; the kind that eventually erode away any sense of what’s good or bad or mildly intriguing. Maybe that’s why it’s a bit ironic that the network’s new slogan is “Imagine Greater.” At this point, the channel should either stay as Sci Fi or change the name completely. Opting for a bizarre misspelling, however, just seems odd. If anything, it appears oddly French. I might be inclined to think “Syfy” is the name of some Parisian pharmacy. “Need to pick up some deodorant? Oh yeah, just drop by the Syfy on St. Germain. And get me some contact solution while you’re there. MERCI.”
So now I ask you: which rebranding is worse? Dora or Syfy?