Wednesday, May 14, 2008

SavvyAuntie.com is Not a Four-Letter Word.


Dear Readers,

Once you've lived with a name for your company for the better part of a year, it just feels right. But of course, most people have never heard of the name of your company and often wonder why you chose it. The name of my company, as you know, is SavvyAuntie.com. Here's the simple story of how it all came to be:

Last summer, as I was starting this company, the Internet was being 'plagued' by four-letter domain names. Hulu, Bebo and Ning were just three destinations being buzzed about. At the time, it seemed like in order to be a 'hot' Internet company, you had to have a four-letter domain name.

I wasn't going to go that route. First of all, whatever is hot today, is not tomorrow. Secondly, I wanted a domain name that no one would forget because it sounded like every other four-letter domain name (I was confused by the names myself since they tell very little about what the sites do and who they are for). Thirdly, I wanted the word Aunt or Auntie to be a part of it so they understood the community was for them.

I decided to create a URL that meant something to Aunts. Seems simple, but I was going to be married to this name forever more. It had to be something I really believed in. And something Aunties could believe in too. That name, whatever it would be, would need to be powerful.

I'm an Auntie. My late mother grew up in England and all of my Great Aunts are called Auntie (Awntie). So I knew I wanted to go with Auntie, not Aunt. Plus, last summer, Gap had come out with a cute t-shirt for little girls that read: I [heart] my Auntie. If "Auntie" was right for the Gap consumer, it was popular enough a term for my niche.

I chose "Savvy" as a qualifier for a very specific reason. PANKs are very savvy in just about everything they do: their job; their social life; fashion and beauty; finances; nesting, etc. But when it comes to kids, they are not as savvy. How could they be, without kids of their own and without sandbox talk - the stuff moms learn about 'on the job?' There is no "instruction manual" for Aunts and until now, Auntie has had to rely on Mom to learn about kids.

SavvyAuntie.com is like a 'parenting site for non-parents.' It's a "safe" place where Aunts can get lots of great knowledge from our Savvy Auntie Experts and other SavvyAuntie.com members, as well as
share their own expertise with others - without ever having to feel un-savvy. That's pretty powerful stuff.

Just like Mom, Auntie has questions. And now, just like Mom, Auntie has answers. She's a Savvy Auntie. And it just feels right.

XOXO,
Auntie Melanie







3 comments:

  1. Melanie -

    #1) I think Savvy is an awesome word that any woman would want to be known as.

    #2) I like that you chose "Auntie" rather than "Aunt" - while it may be strange that I think like this, I think "Aunt" brings to mind the insect meaning of the word for many people :-)

    Thanks for taking us through the process you went through in your name decision!

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  2. I loved reading about the genesis of this brilliant idea. Thanks. :)

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  3. Hi, I'm really enjoying your blog and the journey you've started. As a aunt to four niece/nephews I am looking forward to the site going live. One thing you may want to do asap is to register saavyauntie.com. I am a terrible speller and I think there may be many more of us who spell savvy wrong!
    best,
    Lynda
    Delight.com
    Delightfulblogs.com

    ReplyDelete

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