Does your name embarrass you?

Frankly, mine did. Till I gained the maturity to realise that the really important thing is what that name stands for, not how it's spelt or pronounced (or in my case, mispronounced). I thought: Bonaparte. Dickens. Pele. Tata. FAG (don't snigger, google "Schaeffler Group").

Perhaps, I was wrong.

The venerable South India-based 'Dhanalakshmi Bank' has changed it's name to a more contemporary, 'Dhanlaxmi Bank' in a bid to appeal to the youth! (http://www.afaqs.com/perl/news/story.html?sid=26018)

Apparently, name-sensitivity among the youth is ubiquitous and universal.

In another nomenclature-based attempt by a financial institution to reach out to the youth, the trillion-dollar 'Charles Schwab Corporation' in the US informs us that it would henceforth, prefer to be addressed simply, as 'Chuck'. (http://dognpony.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/ohmygod-like-chuck-is-sooooo-rad/)

My question to these cool, hip, and obviously with-it, financiers is only this: If an average 18-25yr old were to come by $100, would he/she be more likely to: a.) invest, or b.) buy an iPhone?

Take your time.

But what I really like about Dnlxmi Bnk's (honestly, isn't this more 'in'?) new identity is it's all-encompassing functionality. Supposedly, the new identity "exudes a modern, vibrant and contemporary look while retaining the core values of trust and heritage built by the bank over its long history".

No, it's not over... "The new identity reflects the Bank’s growth aspirations in the context of evolving demographics of the young India. Retaining the brands core strengths and values, the new identity is aligned to attitudinal position of today’s youth - modern yet rooted in tradition”.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you create an identity for yourself. By being indistinguishable.

But seriously, is there an all-pervasive software that writes 'new brand identity' PRs?