What pops into your brain when you first hear the name "iPad"? For many people, the name for Apple’s new tablet computer did not bring to mind a computer product at all. Journalists, bloggers, and marketing professionals alike have called the name iPad “terrible”, as it reminds them of feminine products. “Are there any women in Apple marketing?” asked the founder of a technology PR firm. “The first impression of every single woman I’ve spoken to is that [the name iPad] is cringe-inducing. It indicates to me that there wasn’t a lot of testing or feedback.” Experts are worried that this bad naming decision could hurt sales since women account for about 40 percent of gadget spending¹.

Not everyone was strongly opposed to the name “iPad”. One marketing officer felt the name was effective because the minute a consumer hears it they know exactly who made the product and what it is all about. This is because the iPad conspicuously carries the family name "i" like many Apple products before it, including iPod and iPhone. The “i” part may be suitable from a brand naming perspective, but the “Pad” part is still up for debate.
For example, the word “pad” is also associated with paper products such as notepads. Is the association with pads of paper beneficial for a high tech product? Does it imply simplicity and usability, or just normalness? The connotations of “Pad” do not seem premium enough for this highly intelligent product.
Here in China, Apple runs the risk of consumers mistaking iPad as the name of a cheap copy of iPod, considering there are already fake products like “BlockBerry” instead of Blackberry. What about the millions of consumers in the world who speak English as a second language with strong accents? Will Apple store salespeople misunderstand requests for iPads and iPods?
Let’s see if Apple’s existing brand equity is strong enough to support what appears to be a poor brand name choice for its newest product.

1. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Valentine/toys-tools-gadget-women/story...