Hollywood *facepalm* of the week:

[freydis]

Are you KIDDING me?

The new spelling is..... hardly more hip.

In some universe, the name “Syfy” is less geeky than the name “Sci Fi.” Dave Howe, president of the Sci Fi Channel, is betting it’s this one.

To that end, the 16-year-old network—owned by NBC Universal—plans to announce that Syfy is its new name March 16 at its upfront presentation to advertisers in New York.

Syfy logo

“What we love about this is we hopefully get the best of both worlds,” Mr. Howe said. “We’ll get the heritage and the track record of success, and we’ll build off of that to build a broader, more open and accessible and relatable and human-friendly brand.”

Sci Fi is coming off the best year in its history. In primetime it ranked 13th in total viewers among ad-supported cable networks in 2008. It’s a top-10 network in both adults 18 to 49 (up 4%) and adults 25 to 54 (up 6%).

During its fourth-quarter earnings call, parent General Electric said Sci Fi racked up a double-digit increase in operating earnings despite the beginnings of the recession.

Nevertheless, there was always a sneaking suspicion that the name was holding the network back.

“The name Sci Fi has been associated with geeks and dysfunctional, antisocial boys in their basements with video games and stuff like that, as opposed to the general public and the female audience in particular,” said TV historian Tim Brooks, who helped launch Sci Fi Channel when he worked at USA Network.

Mr. Brooks said that when people who say they don’t like science fiction enjoy a film like “Star Wars,” they don’t think it’s science fiction; they think it’s a good movie.

“We spent a lot of time in the ’90s trying to distance the network from science fiction, which is largely why it’s called Sci Fi,” Mr. Brooks said. “It’s somewhat cooler and better than the name ‘Science Fiction.’ But even the name Sci Fi is limiting.”

Mr. Howe said going to Syfy will make a difference.

“It gives us a unique word and it gives us the opportunities to imbue it with the values and the perception that we want it to have,” he said.

Dave Howe

Dave Howe

In terms of television, the new brand better reflects that the channel has programs that are not about the typical sci-fi themes of space, aliens and the future.

“We really do want to own the imagination space,” Mr. Howe said. “We want to get the credit for the range of content that we already have on our air and that we’ll be doing more of in the future.”

Mr. Howe said Sci Fi looks at its branding every couple of years. He added that when new executives join the network, they usually ask if it has ever thought about changing the name.

The network worked with the branding consultancy Landor Associates and went through about 300 possibilities before selecting Syfy.

“When we tested this new name, the thing that we got back from our 18-to-34 techno-savvy crowd, which is quite a lot of our audience, is actually this is how you’d text it,” Mr. Howe said. “It made us feel much cooler, much more cutting-edge, much more hip, which was kind of bang-on what we wanted to achieve communication-wise.”

The network plans to make the changeover July 7, when it will launch the new series “Warehouse 13.”

The series, about a secret government facility in South Dakota where all mysterious relics and supernatural souvenirs are housed, is emblematic of the channel’s programming direction.

“It is a dramedy and it is set in the here and now. It’s a kind of an Indiana Jones meets ‘Moonlighting’ meets ‘The X-Files,’” Mr. Howe said. “This is a very accessible, relatable, fun show.”

The network will begin briefing cable operators about the transition this week and plans a trade ad campaign in April as part of the upfront. The new campaign will use the slogan “Imagine Greater,” which Mr. Howe thinks will resonate with both consumers and media buyers.

“It’s a call to action,” he said. “Look at the everyday and how you can turn it to the extraordinary. It’s an aspirational, optimistic message about enhancing people’s lives.”

Mr. Howe said the international Sci Fi channels will transition to the new name over the next six to 12 months.

Web site SciFi.com also will make the change to Syfy.com.

Sci Fi has been working to branch out from being simply a linear cable network to become a hub of businesses operating in the imagination under the Sci Fi Ventures banner.

“We need an umbrella brand we can attach to new businesses: Sci Fi games, Sci Fi kids. It does no use to attach ‘Sci Fi’ because there’s hundreds of sci-fi Web sites and sci-fi publications. So it’s changing your name without changing your name,” Mr. Howe said.

Sci Fi also will be unveiling some of its programming and development plans at its upfront.

But one key venture it won’t discuss is its work with Trion Worldwide to create content designed from the beginning to work on multiple platforms. Mr. Howe said the network is close to announcing a title and description of the project, which will launch as both a subscription-based, massively multiplayer online game and a television series.

A writer has been assigned to the project. The idea is to have the show completely synchronized so that when events happen in the show, they are reflected in the game, and vice versa.

“Because it’s a server-based game, as the storylines evolve in the TV series, so the game echoes that,” Mr. Howe said. “It’s a completely, uniquely interactive 24-7 immersive entertainment experience.”

He’s seen some “amazing demos” from Trion of the graphics and how the world will be built out.

“What that launches, it truly is the next evolution in dynamic storytelling,” Mr. Howe said.

[Slogo]

Ok. That was really necessary. Every now and then I turn the channel on but the stupid old logo in the corner drives me insane. This one is far easier on the eyes.

Obviously all of the above was in jest.

More hip as in lower literacy rates?

[Scary Guy]

More hip as in lower literacy rates?

I NO RITE?

That's it, they're off my facebook pages list, and my myspace, and I'm boycotting them just like Pepsi did when they changed their logo (which looks retarded by the way).

[freydis]

I laughed so hard when Warren Ellis pointed out that syfy means something rude in another language (i think it was polish).

[taysteewonderbunny]

You are correct.

Syfy

I've just learned that Sci Fi Channel is changing it's name to Syfy. Someone didn't do their homework as in Polish syfy is plural of syf which means mess, crap, filth, shit, junk or pimple. It is short from of syfilis (syphilis) so it also means a venereal disease. In other words it's a swear word with very bad connotations. Most international brands check for something like that before choosing names. Considering there's Sci Fi Channel Polska now I wonder if they'll change name in Poland too. That be funny. Syfy is pronounced differently in Polish (syhfyh/ siffy) but that doesn't help when it's written on your screen.

Source of the quote.

[Destroit]

I NO RITE?

That's it, they're off my facebook pages list, and my myspace, and I'm boycotting them just like Pepsi did when they changed their logo (which looks retarded by the way).

I know! Finally someone who agrees with me about Pepsi. And the new "Mtn. Dew" (wtf...too lazy to spell it or are they trying to appeal to somewhat illiterate people now?) bottle looks equally as retarded.

[TitsMcGee]

This is just stupid. Someone needs to slap them.

[Scary Guy]

I know! Finally someone who agrees with me about Pepsi. And the new "Mtn. Dew" (wtf...too lazy to spell it or are they trying to appeal to somewhat illiterate people now?) bottle looks equally as retarded.

To be honest I'm not a fan of Mountain Dew (other than that period in their marketing history when they used Black Sabath's "Paranoid" as a jingle in their commercials). But I do see your point and yes that is retarded as well.

Marketing is a funny thing. You have to advertise to your target demographic (retards with money) as well as ALL demographics. What might attract one group could alienate another just as easily. You have to remember you have money, they want money, and their job is to trick you into giving it to them. You're nothing more than a walking paycheck to them.

So advertising to retards is probably in their best interests because "a fool and his money are soon parted" as opposed to people actually smart enough to hang onto it and not be tricked by cheap marketing techniques. Believe me it's only going to get worse. Fuck Edward Bernays may he rot in his grave. A brilliant man who used science for evil and the father of the core of modern marketing. Go watch "The Century of The Self" and be amazed at the great evil he has done.

[taysteewonderbunny]

To be honest I'm not a fan of Mountain Dew (other than that period in their marketing history when they used Black Sabath's "Paranoid" as a jingle in their commercials). But I do see your point and yes that is retarded as well.

Marketing is a funny thing. You have to advertise to your target demographic (retards with money) as well as ALL demographics. What might attract one group could alienate another just as easily. You have to remember you have money, they want money, and their job is to trick you into giving it to them. You're nothing more than a walking paycheck to them.

So advertising to retards is probably in their best interests because "a fool and his money are soon parted" as opposed to people actually smart enough to hang onto it and not be tricked by cheap marketing techniques. Believe me it's only going to get worse. Fuck Edward Bernays may he rot in his grave. A brilliant man who used science for evil and the father of the core of modern marketing. Go watch "The Century of The Self" and be amazed at the great evil he has done.

Oh, I'm quite familiar with that devil. Had an introduction in Psychology 101 and did some further reading. The asshole.

I am almost convinced Sam Phillips wrote "Fighting with Fire" about him.

He wants to stay in contract

He wants to buy the things he doesn't understand

He wants all the credit

He wants the rights to the soul of every man....

[Onyx]

*groan*

Sci-Fi's geeky image *was* part of it's appeal. How is it they don't get that?

(I quit watching most of what they are showing in the last few years anyway tho. It's been a big disappointment to me).

[Scary Guy]

I especially hate it when they have a great show and then kill it off out of nowhere. Then the ones that suck they try to jump the shark with and keep it going FOREVER.

[Joey Deadcat]

It's called Network Decay, people. TCM, thankfully, is immune to this.

[Morbid Side]

Maybe they're doing like what MTV did and try to reach out with the ebonics.

[Scary Guy]

Maybe they're doing like what MTV did and try to reach out with the ebonics.

Yeah, yet another company I hate, along with McDonalds. If being urban means being retarded then I don't want any part of it since they're a bunch of illiterate morons.

Of course on the flip side of that being country means being retarded as well usually producing a bunch of illiterate redneck hicks.

I think I've found the major problem.

Also, read a book...

[Nightgaunt]

I gave up on the SciFi Channel a long time ago, when they started showing NBC soap operas during the day.