Delivering the big KO to branding ... sort of

I like to keep things simple.

It’s easier that way.

In my world, an apple is ‘an apple’, sometimes it’s a green or red apple, not a Granny Smith, Pink Lady or a Delicious.

My car is ‘the car’. Not ‘the Mazda’ or ‘Ferrari’.

This week, the world of branding took it up a level. I was listening to the wireless in the car when I realised I was tuned to Triple M Newcastle. What? A new station?

I’m sure I read of the name change, but ignored it. I still refer to that radio station as 2KO. I believe it was called KOFM but, again, I ignored that.  

Sometimes I also tune in to 2NC and 2NX.

I did have to do a little re-branding myself owing to the national broadband network being known all over the country as NBN. Hence, I call our TV station NBN Tellie.

I am also aware that some radio stations recklessly branded October ‘Oztober’, instead of ‘Rocktober’.

I’m having none of that.

Maybe I’m one of the few people in the world immune to branding?

When I go shopping at Kotara I go to Garden City.

I wrote a column about Kotara shopping centre the other week and seriously had to think long and hard about its ‘correct’ name.

I also often shop at Jesmond Centre, and anywhere that sells hot chicken snacks (anywhere in the world) is known to me as Henny Penny.

Throughout my working life I have also used my simplified approach to job titles.

Basically, there is me, my workmates, and the boss.

At the moment I happily call at least six people “the boss”. These are the people I alert when I need a tough decision made or when something goes awry.

They are also the people who tell me, sporadically, to pull my head in.

A boss for every occasion.

Also, in my perfect world, I’d have one work email address that was portable.

It would be: deb@work.com   

Simple.

I’ll float it with the boss.

deborah.richards@fairfax.com.au