In business you're all about your name. Keep a good name and business flows to your door. Get a bad name and you're looking for a new career. Get a really REALLY good name and from my own personal experience, some people will try and use your name for their own gain.
Now if you're reading this blog, then you're already aware of the Creative COW forums and the really REALLY good thing we have going here. During a recent thread in the Apple Color forum, a user pointed out that a production facility in Los Angeles changed their name to Blue Cow Creative.
Ok, so perhaps they didn't know about the Creative COW forums and it's an honest coincidence. I mean just because something like 10 million+ media people per month read these forums, that doesn't mean everyone in the industry will know about the COW. Well, except as a leader in the Creative COW Apple Color forum, I have seen at least one of the key personnel in Blue Cow Creative participate in the forum...before the name change. So at least by all appearances they must have been aware that a company called "Creative COW" that focuses on the production industry existed.
So the right thing to do would have been to NOT use the words Creative and Cow in your company name. Especially since it's obvious you've been using the Creative COW website and know about the site's forums and one can logically assume other resources, as well.
Cow? Sure. Creative? Sure. But not the two words together in the company name. How obvious is that? Now this is just me looking in from the outside, but Creative COW is clearly an industry leader, and in my opinion it seems the new blue variety figures it can gain some instant name recognition by putting Creative and Cow together in a new company name. I could be wrong here, but that's what it looks like to me.
Especially a company in Los Angeles. How many cows do you see in L.A.? Maybe if the company was in farm country somewhere, you might almost be able to make some sort of argument that they are playing off the Cows in the area. But even there, the Creative COW has used the trademark for over six years that I know of and has earned a tremendous name in the production industry. I also suspect that the COW will have to mount a legal battle to protect their name
At this point, you might be wondering why do I care? Why am I making a fuss about this? Because I have worked very VERY hard during my 17 year career to build a good name for myself and my company. I have had at least two instances of someone trying to ruin my name and trying to use my company name for their own personal gain. With so much hard work and time put into getting myself to get where I am, the worst feeling in the world is someone coming along and trying to step in and take it all away.
In the first instance the person tried to use very negative statements about me and my work to stop clients from working with me. That took some time to work through but eventually I regained the trust of all but a few clients. In the second instance, my name and abilities were used to sell a project and then the project was taken elsewhere. Not just a small project, a network series. You have to wonder how well the concept would have been received without multi Emmy, Telly, Aurora, Peabody award winning production team associated with it.
Those two instances could have been devasting for me and my entire company.
A name is not to be taken lightly. In fact, it should not be taken at all.
Digg it
If they win, there could be no more Creative COW
It's not right that someone like Plastercity Digital could come along in 2007 and brand their company Blue Cow Creative. If their lawyers are strong enough and if Creative COW is not able to mount a legal fight, there could be no more Creative COW as we know it.
I am not a lawyer and I don't know if the Creative COW has retained legal counsel in this matter, but if they haven't, they could one day lose the right to use their own name. I think that if Creative COW loses the right to use their own name in this industry, I know people who will boycott Plastercity Digital or Blue Cow Creative, or whatever they choose to call themselves.
I work for a company that does business with Plastercity Digital and when I first saw it on their website, I couldn't believe it. The COW is one of the best known and recognizable trademarks in this industry. There are few people working in the trades and crafts who don't know who Creative COW is. I have talked with a number of people that I know in this field and none thinks they stumbled on this new name by accident.
Plastercity Digital has had their name for many years now. Why the sudden change to Blue Cow Creative?
Mark Nance
Name Recognition, plain and simple
Plastercity Digital has had their name for many years now. Why the sudden change to Blue Cow Creative?
Again, from the outside looking in and guessing, they might have needed to increase their business, or they might have needed more name recognition. Aligning yourself with the Creative Cow Brand can help in both instances. I really don't see any other reason to suddenly change your name if you're successful, so those are my guesses.
I also don't see why you would set yourself up for legal action by choosing a name so close to such a highly recognizeable company in the industry.
Uh... not really
First off, let me state publicly that I am *not* an employee of Blue Cow Creative, nor Plaster City Digital Post. I *have* performed work for them on a freelance basis in the past.
That said, I think there's been a number of assumptions made here (some of which are not healthy). The first assumption (and most unhealthy one), is that Blue Cow Creative is somehow trying to piggy back on the Creative COW name and brand. I don't see how this could be true. First, Blue Cow Creative (and their parent, Plaster City Post) is a *production and post-production company*. They have made a name for themselves in LA providing production services for a wide variety of indy films, broadcast, etc. They are recognized as an industry leader in formulating digital film workflows.
My understanding is that Blue Cow Creative is a subset of Plaster City... let's see here... oh, yes! It says so right on their homepage: "A division of PLASTERCiy Digital Post".
And believe me, Walter... they don't need to "increase their business", or "need more name recognition"... everyone working in high-end indy film and/or video here in LA knows who Plaster City Post (and Blue Cow Creative) is.
Last I checked, Creative COW is not in the production, post-production or workflow consultancy business. Also, last I checked, Plaster City Post (and Blue Cow Creative) are not in business of building an online community of creative professionals.
Yes, both institutions are industry leaders... but I don't see where the competition or "piggy-backing" is.
Walter, I'm very sorry that people in the past have tried to ruin your name. I can assure you that, for the folks at Plaster City, this is not their intent. They are among the nicest, most professional, most genuine people in the industry that I have ever met.
To me, whatever similarities in semantics that may (or may not) exist are coincidental, at best. I've been posting/reading/visiting Creative COW on a daily basis for about 8 years now. I've also done work for Plaster City and Blue Cow Creative... I never made the connection until reading your post.
I won't get into all the little nit-noid arguments of "well, the order of the names is different", and "are you going to go after Milk Cow Creative, and Holy Cow Creative, and Red Cow Creative, as well?" (yes, they do exist!). I think it's really beside the point.
I think a deep breath, a little research, and some relaxation techniques will help folks realize that there's most likely not any kind of malfeasance here.
Just one person's opinion.
"Pain is temporary... film is forever"
Christian Glawe
editor/compositor
www.ChristianGlawe.com