Last week Apple announced its latest product: The iPad. As an Apple consumer (I have an iPod, iMac, and iPhone) I am looking forward to purchasing this new product. I’ve viewed their keynote video, and their product video and believe the iPad is revolutionary. But why the awkward name? I’ve read that Apple is considering iTablet for something else down the road, and that iPad simply best describes this new product. OK. But was any thought given to how the name could be perceived? Were any women involved in the naming process? Simply because Apple is a progressive company, one shouldn’t assume the naming of their new product considered a woman’s perspective. Consider these facts:

None of Apple's top executives are women -- according to its own Web page (www.apple.com/pr/bios/) and evident by it’s product video
Only one woman serves on its board
Women consistently rank Apple as one of the world's top three brands
The female economy is estimated at $5 trillion and is the largest growing segment of the world markets

So did Apple consider a woman’s perspective in naming their new product or are they guilty of being “a male-helmed team oblivious to the fact that they were pushing an insensitively-named product”? (Alissa Walker, Fast Company Magazine). The experts are mixed on this. On the one hand, some experts believe it was a serious business faux pas. "It's an unfortunate name choice," contended Michael Silverstein, senior vice president at Boston Consulting Group and author of "Women Want More: How to Capture Your Share of the World's Largest, Fastest-Growing Market." "They needed to do a research protocol and testing for a product that would offend no one while making clear its technical, functional and emotional benefits." And others, like Michael Cronan, a naming consultant in Berkeley, Calif., whose company has helped come up with brands like TiVo and Kindle, believe Apple couldn’t have found an alternative that ties in as perfectly to its famous brands. “I think we’re going to get over this fairly quickly and we’ll get on with enjoying the experience.”

I’m inclined to agree with Mr. Cronan. I’m a woman, and although I think the name initially connotes the negative image of a feminine product, it’s not going to stop me from purchasing it. However, let it be know to Apple that your choice in product name did not go unnoticed and made many feminist, like myself, sit up and take greater notice to your company’s structure and processes. Now that we are more aware, we might be less forgiving the next time. :)

Resources:

NY Times, “For Apple, iPad Said More Than Intended” by Brad Stone 1/28/10
Fast Company, “Apple's iPad Name Not the First Choice for Women. Period.” by Alissa Walker 1/27/10
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Name for new Apple device panned on blogs, Twitter”, by Mackenzie Carpenter, 1/29/10
Apple website and video release