Anatomy of a name change
By Jenn Shreve • Bankrate.com

When United Paramount Network (UPN) changes its name to Paramount Network in January, the event will be marked by a blitz of radio and billboard ads, as well as on-air promos explaining that UPN is now Paramount.

The aggressive ad campaign is but the snowy tip of a very tall mountain -- one that more media companies may find themselves scaling as they seek safety and power through mergers and acquisitions.

In the case of UPN, the business decision that preceded the name change was Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) Paramount Television Group's buyout of Chris-Craft Industries United Stations. But once the lawyers and bankers have had their say, the decision to rename falls solidly into the hands of marketing.

The 6-year-old network decided to change its name only after conducting focus groups in 14 cities nationwide. What they found was that UPN and its circle-triangle-square logo, "... had no clear identity; it meant different things to different people," according to UPN COO Adam Ware, who's directing the implementation of the name change.

The Paramount name and logo, on the other hand, had instant recognition and credibility as an entertainment source, says Ware. The network decided to capitalize on Paramount's name recognition while creating a derivative logo that reflected the network's unique identity -- as in different from Paramount Pictures, not truly original.

Increasingly for UPN, that unique identity has been what Ware refers to as, "... very male-friendly with a heavy, healthy dose of testosterone." While UPN has attracted diverse viewers with shows like "Moesha" and "Star Trek: Voyager," it was "WWF Smackdown!" the pro wrestling-cum-soap opera that, since it first aired in August 1999, has been the station's biggest draw. Capitalizing on this appeal, UPN hired the TV graphics team of Jim Cahill and Jim Atkinson to overhaul the network's graphics package in the heavy-metal style of "Smackdown!" It also took the unusual step of premiering the new design, which Ware refers to as "Full Metal Packet," a week before the May ratings period.

"Sometimes the quick display of a symbol can be more effective than making people read a word," says S.B. Master, president of the Berkeley, California, naming firm Master-McNeil Inc. Indeed, the visual elements of the name change will begin to take hold well in advance. "The two Jims," as they are known in Hollywood, helped develop the new logo, a steely rendition of the Paramount original, and will be gradually incorporating it into the network's overall look, sound and feel.

"It's not as simple as plastering an approved logo here, there, and everywhere. There's real care that goes into creating a system. There's a graphic comfort you want to create in the viewer, which is especially important when you're changing your name," Cahill explains. Weeks before the name change takes hold, the triangle in UPN's current logo will begin to morph into the new mountain. (Focus groups identified the triangle as the strongest element in UPN's original logo, says Ware.) As a result, viewers will be, unconsciously at least, prepared for the name change -- or so the theory goes.

In the meantime, many internal changes must take place as well. "A very important part of name change is the need to communicate it to employees, internal audiences, first," says Anthony Shore, at the naming and branding firm Landor and Associates. "Employees at companies always feel better about a name change when they know about it first, and are involved in the process in some fashion." UPN has been actively involving its 185 affiliate stations in the process. TV listings and cross-promotions on other Viacom stations will need to reflect the new name, as well. After that, comes the ad campaign, wherein the network will repeatedly drill the new name into outside viewers' heads.

"You have to be that direct. Simplicity is the best way to communicate a name change," explains Ware. "I think you can have fun with it. I think you can have an edge in the way you do it that shows you're creative. At the end of the day, you need to say it over and over and over again that UPN is now Paramount."

JENN SHREVE is an Oakland-based freelance writer who has written for Industry Standard, Salon.com and others.