They called it what?
Getting consumers to pluck a product off the shelf is a tough task on its own. Convincing them to take a chance on a product with a name that makes them recoil in horror is an exercise in masochism.
Companies are obsessed with "trial" -- the moment in which a consumer is so swayed by marketing, packaging or product claims that they drop their guard and try something new. It's the reason Costco(COST) is littered with sampling stations, 7-Eleven is rife with colorful point-of-sale displays andNetflix (NFLX) offers the first month for free.
But even Netflix couldn't convince customers to buy into a DVD-by-mail product called Qwikster. Not only did it sound dumb -- and co-opt that "-ster" suffix that Napster considered edgy 14 years ago -- but it was selling users a service they were already paying for at a higher price through a proposed splinter company they had no experience with. The name was the least of that idea's problems, but it didn't help.
Still, Netflix got off lightly. Other companies have been subjected to ridicule or worse for their unfortunate or downright offensive product names. Here are nine examples of names that not only don't sell items, but send consumers laughing or running in the other direction.
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