While it’s the red-headed stepchild of media, we like radio. Sure, there are plenty of other ways to get music, and the commercials, limited playlists and dopey jock chatter can grate, but it’s still a great, and free, way to get information out there and hear new music. And when you’ve got stations in your area like WSOU that play metal all the time, you can’t help but appreciate the medium.
Not everyone feels that way, however. Information Week reports that as of Thursday, Radio Shack will hence forth be known as “The Shack.” The company’s Chief Marketing Officer Lee Applbaum said in a statement that many of their customers already dropped ‘radio’ and just called it ‘The Shack,” and they’re merely embracing what consumers have already done.
“We have tremendous equity in consumers’ minds around cables, parts a nd batteries, but it’s critically important that we help them to understand the role that we play in keeping people connected in this highly mobile world,” added Applbaum. “You will see a real focus on mobility and wireless products from leading brands in our new advertising.”
Wait, what? Why don’t they call themselves “Cables, Parts and Batteries Shack” then? Sure, you want to remind consumers that you’re not just the place to go to get RCA cables and antennas, I get it. But how does rebranding yourself after a crudely built cabin rectify that? And will Shaquille O’ Neal sue? And sure “radio” isn’t the sexiest medium, but what’s sexier, a radio, or a hut?
