As any Marketing Specialist will tell you, naming a product is the most critical step in determining the success of the endeavor. Creative reference, ease of advertising, product familiarity and brand association are all important factors when considering a name for your idea, concept, or company.
With the Official Vick Dog Chew Toy it was a little different. While I wanted to utilize the recent news stories to try and bring awareness and offer an option to fight back, I could ill afford to come in conflict with the mighty National Football League or the Atlanta Falcons. Additionally, I never wanted to make this a battle against Michael Vick, the person. My concept was much bigger than just one man. Instead, I wanted to create the Official Vick Dog Chew Toy to be about the actions and the behaviors that harm our beloved pets each day. Not just with the actions of one group, but also for the actions of the groups that we never hear about. I wanted to Raise Awareness! I wanted to make sure that everyone knew that this was not an isolated case and that it’s not just a single incident simply because of one individuals actions.
My research forced me to remember back to both my pets and the pets of my friends. My memories were good and I quickly discovered that through my entire life I was fortunate to be surrounded by many family friends that truly added value to their owners and those around them.
One particular pet that came to mind was a dog named Victor. This was a dog that a friend had. I met the individual when I first moved to Jacksonville back in the early 1990’s. I was introduced to his dog shortly after we became friends. Victor was his “official” name but everyone called the dog Vick. Vick was a Pit Bull and at a glance, a very intimidating animal. However, once Vick greeted you, it was instantly apparent that he was a very gentile and loving dog. One thing that stuck out about Vick was his desire for water. Vick always sought out the water every time he would see the beach, a swimming pool, a sprinkler, or a water hose. Anything wet was fair game for Vick. I remember thinking that this was odd for the breed, but was certainly a source of memorable entertainment for both Vick and everyone that witnessed his actions. Vick was a good dog. Vick was the dog that first came to fame in our article with AP Writer Demorris Lee of the St. Pete Times. See it here.
A quick turn to the news and suddenly I was blasted with horrible visions of mistreated, abused dogs. So many that resembled and reminded me of Vick. The dog chew toy that I had in mind to create had to be named after Vick. The name of the NFL QB that sponsored these hideous actions should not be confused as the source of the naming of my product. I will admit that Michael Vick shares the name of one of the best dogs I can remember and that certainly didn’t hurt our opportunity to raise awareness of the endeavor.
Convenient coincidence on the name? Some say so and criticize the connection. I am fine with that. However, to name our dog chew toy deliberately and solely upon the fact that it resembles the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback would have certainly have caused the National Football League to shut us down before we began. Our explanation to the National Football League regarding the name, the same exact explanation as I give you above, was enough to satisfy the National Football League. I am hoping that the information satisfies your curiosity as well. The Official Vick Dog Chew Toy was born!
So, what about the toy? Next entry: creating a product.
I appreciate your interest in my story. Stay tuned.
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