A Name That's Boring for Business

I've written before about names that are bad for business, but I recently came across a name that's not bad: It's just inexplicable.


I saw this cardboard point-of-purchase display at my neighborhood corner grocery recently. The plain white top was empty except for four $1.99 stickers, obviously added by the grocer, and the obscure name "Creative Converting."

I really didn't know what to make of it. Maybe the store was supposed to cover up the top of the display with its own artwork -- something saying Happy New Year!, in this case -- and the name of the business wasn't supposed to show at all?

It turns out Creative Converting is a Wisconsin-based wholesaler of disposable tableware and party goodies, one of those business categories that only exists because we live in a waste-based culture.

I'm fascinated by the many parts of our economy that the average person isn't aware of, and especially at times like this when you catch a glimpse of their not-ready-for-retail face.