Monday, Feb. 08, 2010
Netflix Qwik-ly Kills Name Recognition
Netflix is arguably the most well-known name in DVD-by-mail rentals, and the company was able to leverage that brand recognition to augment its business with a wildly successful streaming movie offering. But when Netflix decided to split the DVD-by-mail and streaming services into two separate companies, it re-branded its DVD-by-mail company as "Qwikster," effectively dumping more than a decade of brand recognition down the tubes. Why? It may be that Netflix is looking towards a streaming-only future, as some have suggested and, if so, this name change could be a crazy-like-a-fox first step at putting its physical media business out to pasture.