Sci Fi Channel renamed to Syfy

[sadude]

(Old, but no one has said anything about it.)



http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/03/sci_fi_..._to_shed_ge.php

Sci Fi Channel Aims to Shed Geeky Image With New Name

‘Syfy’ Will Announce Name Change, Other Plans at Upfront

By Jon Lafayette



In some universe, the name “Syfy” is less geeky than the name “Sci Fi.” Dave Howe, president of the Sci Fi Channel, is betting it’s this one. To that end, the 16-year-old network—owned by NBC Universal—plans to announce that Syfy is its new name March 16 at its upfront presentation to advertisers in New York. “What we love about this is we hopefully get the best of both worlds,” Mr. Howe said. “We’ll get the heritage and the track record of success, and we’ll build off of that to build a broader, more open and accessible and relatable and human-friendly brand.”



Sci Fi is coming off the best year in its history. In primetime it ranked 13th in total viewers among ad-supported cable networks in 2008. It’s a top-10 network in both adults 18 to 49 (up 4%) and adults 25 to 54 (up 6%). During its fourth-quarter earnings call, parent General Electric said Sci Fi racked up a double-digit increase in operating earnings despite the beginnings of the recession. Nevertheless, there was always a sneaking suspicion that the name was holding the network back.



“The name Sci Fi has been associated with geeks and dysfunctional, antisocial boys in their basements with video games and stuff like that, as opposed to the general public and the female audience in particular,” said TV historian Tim Brooks, who helped launch Sci Fi Channel when he worked at USA Network. Mr. Brooks said that when people who say they don’t like science fiction enjoy a film like “Star Wars,” they don’t think it’s science fiction; they think it’s a good movie. “We spent a lot of time in the ’90s trying to distance the network from science fiction, which is largely why it’s called Sci Fi,” Mr. Brooks said. “It’s somewhat cooler and better than the name ‘Science Fiction.’ But even the name Sci Fi is limiting.” Mr. Howe said going to Syfy will make a difference. “It gives us a unique word and it gives us the opportunities to imbue it with the values and the perception that we want it to have,” he said.



In terms of television, the new brand better reflects that the channel has programs that are not about the typical sci-fi themes of space, aliens and the future. “We really do want to own the imagination space,” Mr. Howe said. “We want to get the credit for the range of content that we already have on our air and that we’ll be doing more of in the future.”



Mr. Howe said Sci Fi looks at its branding every couple of years. He added that when new executives join the network, they usually ask if it has ever thought about changing the name. The network worked with the branding consultancy Landor Associates and went through about 300 possibilities before selecting Syfy. “When we tested this new name, the thing that we got back from our 18-to-34 techno-savvy crowd, which is quite a lot of our audience, is actually this is how you’d text it,” Mr. Howe said. “It made us feel much cooler, much more cutting-edge, much more hip, which was kind of bang-on what we wanted to achieve communication-wise.”



The network plans to make the changeover July 7, when it will launch the new series “Warehouse 13.” The series, about a secret government facility in South Dakota where all mysterious relics and supernatural souvenirs are housed, is emblematic of the channel’s programming direction. “It is a dramedy and it is set in the here and now. It’s a kind of an Indiana Jones meets ‘Moonlighting’ meets ‘The X-Files,’” Mr. Howe said. “This is a very accessible, relatable, fun show.”



The network will begin briefing cable operators about the transition this week and plans a trade ad campaign in April as part of the upfront. The new campaign will use the slogan “Imagine Greater,” which Mr. Howe thinks will resonate with both consumers and media buyers. “It’s a call to action,” he said. “Look at the everyday and how you can turn it to the extraordinary. It’s an aspirational, optimistic message about enhancing people’s lives.”



Mr. Howe said the international Sci Fi channels will transition to the new name over the next six to 12 months. Web site SciFi.com also will make the change to Syfy.com.



Sci Fi has been working to branch out from being simply a linear cable network to become a hub of businesses operating in the imagination under the Sci Fi Ventures banner. “We need an umbrella brand we can attach to new businesses: Sci Fi games, Sci Fi kids. It does no use to attach ‘Sci Fi’ because there’s hundreds of sci-fi Web sites and sci-fi publications. So it’s changing your name without changing your name,” Mr. Howe said.

[Melon]

[quote name='sadude' post='62794' date='Mar 24 2009, 09:43 PM']“The name Sci Fi has been associated with geeks and dysfunctional, antisocial boys in their basements with video games and stuff like that,[/quote]



But...it's...pronounced...the...same.... <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... nfused.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':whatthe:' /> now...you...look...like...retards...who...can't...spell... <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... >/dead.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':popper:' />

[al kusanagi]

[ShinUkyo]

[quote name='sadude' post='62794' date='Mar 24 2009, 09:43 PM']Mr. Howe said Sci Fi looks at its branding every couple of years. He added that when new executives join the network, they usually ask if it has ever thought about changing the name. The network worked with the branding consultancy Landor Associates and went through about 300 possibilities before selecting Syfy. “When we tested this new name, the thing that we got back from our 18-to-34 techno-savvy crowd, which is quite a lot of our audience, is actually this is how you’d text it,” Mr. Howe said. “It made us feel much cooler, much more cutting-edge, much more hip, which was kind of bang-on what we wanted to achieve communication-wise.”[/quote]

I knew there was going to be some mention of the TXT message thing in there. Because apparently, modern kids are just so fucking stupid, that now they feel the need to ABBREVIATE WORDS THAT ONLY HAD FIVE LETTERS TO BEGIN WITH. As if "SCIFI" was so much longer and more complicated than "SYFY." They managed to chop off one whole letter, great. And I note the two replies before mine, both of which had very valid points as well. For one, it's pronounced the exact same way. Now it just looks like a typo. And two, when you're reading the new name on paper, it resembles the word "Syphilis." Way to go, marketing guys.

[Falcon]

Syphilis Channel it is then!



I can't believe that president of the channel bought into this. Must be his pet project or something because it reeks of amateurish marketing mistake.



I wonder if they will realize their blunder and revert the name? I can only hope.

[Shoujo Q]

I'm going to go with the "This is going to crash and BUUUURN!"



Will meme cats start appearing during commercial breaks?