Douchebags. A Lesson in Name Development.

From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary
douchebag (noun)
douche·bag | \ ˈdüsh-ˌbag \

  1. usually douche bag: a bag used for giving douches; a rubber douche bag
  2. chiefly US slang: an obnoxious, offensive, or disgusting person

From the Urban Dictionary
Douchebag
Noun – A person with an over inflated ego, coupled with a low intelligence, who has no idea people are making fun on his style or personality.

None of these definitions are good. In fact, most people would want to avoid being called a douchebag.


So why did a company that manufactures high-end luggage name their company Douchebags? The company founders got drunk one night and one of them suggested that name.


Here is their version of why the liked the name:
https://us.dbjourney.com/pages/douchebags?loc=US&lang=EN


I get it…Douchebags is memorable and irreverent.


But as a name for a high-end luggage company? I don’t get it.


Most people who develop names while they are drinking with friends have the common sense to ignore all the suggestions generated during the night of drinking. But these guys didn’t. And they paid a price. Although they have now rebranded as Db (marginally better because of the Douchebag reference), think of the lost opportunities they had. Yes, they may have gotten noticed by more people because of the controversial nature of their name, but how many sales were lost because nobody in the US wanted to buy and use luggage called Douchebags?

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