Australian cleaning franchise, Perfectly Maid, has recently announced that they will be changing their name to ‘Your Cleaner’.
Announced on the Perfectly Maid twitter account, they link to a supporting document detailing the reasoning behind the the name change. You can download the document, or you can read the overview below.
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(Source: http://www.perfectlymaid.com.au/manager/documents/26Change%20of%20name%20article.pdf )
What ‘maid’ us change?
Why would we change our name when it seems perfectly ok as it is? Sometimes you have to look to your future for the answer……
Overall, Perfectly Maid has been very good to us, however over the past three years I found being a ‘Maid’ also had its fair share of problems!
The first time ‘name change’ was thrown around was around 12 months ago, when our office conducted spot competitor analysis and discovered how many ‘Maids’ had sprung up over the past 2 years….how do we compete with this clutter?? Who is going to remember us? Do Aussies really want a ‘Maid’?
It was barely noticeable while we were a micro business but as we grew in size, it became evident that ‘Maid’ was so generic that customers had trouble remembering which company we were.
Secondly, the word ‘Maid hints to services above and beyond cleaning including, ironing, bed making, dishwashing and other ‘Maid’ style services, non of which we offered as part of our cleaning service. Finally, it was time to address the gender imbalance in our brand (the pink logo with lady for example). The increasing number of men joining our system as franchisees meant that we needed to consider their interest in the brand having broader market appeal.
It was agreed by all that a name change now would be easier than in 5 years when the system was much larger, so we acted.
After all, isn’t that part of what makes a small company great, the ability to quickly adapt to the market place?
Introducing = Your Cleaner
Simple, easy to remember and describes who we are; your cleaner!
With a new logo in production, Perfectly Maid will be phased out over the coming monthsin stages, giving franchisees and customers plenty of time to get used to our new brand.
So think very carefully now about the way you want your brand to be perceived by stakeholders of your business. Your business name is the first point of contact for customers and their positive response to it is crucial in your long term success. Ask yourself the following important questions:
- Do people react positively when you tell them the name?
- Are you proud telling people the name? (If you’re embarrassed by it, change itnow!)
- Is the name unique? (if you can be confused with the competition, change it)
- Is the name relevant to your industry?
- Can you tell what the business does from the name? (if not, consider a tag line or slogan that goes with the logo wherever its shown)
Learn from our mistake; get the name right early as it may be hard to change later!
