Mitch Hedberg On How To Name An Appliance

Mitch Hedberg on the art and science of appliance naming:

I want to get a job naming kitchen appliances. That seems easy, you know? Refrigerator, toaster, blender – you just say what the thing does, then you add “-er.”

Kitchen Appliance Naming Institute: “What’s this thing do?” “It keeps (expletive) fresh.” “Well, that’s a ‘fresher.’ I’m going on break.”

It’s a funny anecdote and a valuable insight too.

There’s value in turning something into a verb, and I’m talking in the product and service sense. Don’t just state what it does, emphasize the aspect of what it is doing.

The value isn’t in the printout of the plan, it’s in the perception and experience of the planning process. The value isn’t in the ad, it’s in the marketing program. The value isn’t in the speech, it’s in the speech writing and then the actual speaking. As usual, Mitch was on to something.

Pair this with “Ing The Thing.”