Naming the Goodyear Blimp: Corporate Iconography1

Attentive to names as corporate markers, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company of Akron, Ohio, in 2006 offered consumers an unprecedented opportunity to name its newest airship. The company's “Name the Blimp” contest, which ran in two month-long segments, elicited over 21 ,000 entries, including the winning “Spirit of Innovation.” In the context of Goodyear history, I analyze the contest’ design and results, especially its strategies for maximizing both corporate and consumer satisfaction, as a demonstration of the power of names to market image and promote customer loyalty.