Has Google become the new Kleenex?

[Lhorgrim]

Does anyone in the U.S. use the word gelatin anymore? All I hear in my area is Jell-O.

I can see why Google would want to avoid becoming the generic term for web searching.

 

[Greylock]

Agreeing with the Coke bit. Here in Memphis you ask the cashier for a Coke, and then they ask "What kind?". I did not know this was a regional thing when I moved north years ago, and would get miffed at burger joints. "What'll you have?" "Coke." "Here ya go." "Hey! I wanted Sprite."

Coca-Cola for a long time was on a mission to try to change our dastardly Southern ways, but I guess they gave up. They rule most Southern markets anyways.

 

[Greylock]

BTW, that article mentioned the British use of the term "hoovering" for vacuuming.

Interesting.

 

[jonesy]

Has Google become the new Kleenex?

Well...I had to google "kleenex".

 

[Jeff Wilder]

It's definitely considered damaging to the brand when the name is "genericized." It obviously happens often, with many great examples in this thread. The interesting thing (to me, at least, as a lawyer with an academic interest in IP law) is that is is reversible, albeit with extreme difficulty. According to research, most people say "photocopy" now, or just "copy," whereas 15 years ago most people said "Xerox."

The really interesting thing is that it's not at all clear that Xerox's efforts to end the practice actually had any effect ... it seems, instead, that the public just, for lack of a better phrase, consensually decided to drop "Xerox" in favor of "photocopy." My own opinion is that if the public is given a suitably descriptive word for a newish process or product, they'll use it over a brand name; thus "photocopy."

Oh, and while I obviously can't speak to how things will be, for right now when people say they "googled" something, my impression is that they actually used Google. I won't be surprised, however, if Google at some point uses its considerable clout to propogate a new word or phrase to avoid dilution of the Google brand. Something like "i-search" or "web search."

 

[jaerdaph]

There's always room for JELL-O® Brand gelatin.

Nah, just not the same...

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

Is it really that bad for the company in question if their website's name is genericized? Google's a company, yeah, but saying "google" aloud is almost an instruction, an advertisement to others on how to get to their website and access their product. I can see how a company like Band-Aid might be sensitive about genericizing. They know that customers are often buying off-brand products and just saying "Band-Aid" instead of "Wal-Mart brand adhesive bandage" or something, and thus the name Band-Aid doesn't equate to customer loyalty. But for a website, I'd venture a guess that most people who are walking around saying "googling" actually are typing www.google.com in their browser, as opposed to going to www.a9.com or www.yahoo.com and just saying "google" to be fashionable. The genericizing of Google's name seems to have been in direct relation to its rapid ascendence as the preeminent search engine.

 

[Zoatebix]

Wow. I thought for sure that "lorry" had a similar origin. Here's what the OED had to say about it: "Of obscure etymology".

 

[Nareau]

My understanding is that the problem has more to do with the way trademark law is written than it has to do with the ill effects of identity-dilution. Basically, if they don't protect their trademark actively in the courts, someone could come along and start another search engine called Google.

I'm no IP lawyer, but that's how it was explained to me.

Spider

 

[CRGreathouse]

But for a website, I'd venture a guess that most people who are walking around saying "googling" actually are typing www.google.com in their browser, as opposed to going to www.a9.com or www.yahoo.com and just saying "google" to be fashionable. The genericizing of Google's name seems to have been in direct relation to its rapid ascendence as the preeminent search engine.

This has been my experience as well. I'll often say "kleenex" for "facial tissue", or "band-aid" for "bandage", but when I mean "search" I say "search" unless I'm actually searching on Google (which, admittedly, is 98+% of the time).