Who Do You Think We Are?

The reporting of Bebo's acquisition by AOL revealed that the name wasn't initially an acronym for "blog early blog often" after all. That was a belated bit of PR spin. The original and much smarter reason was that it was a meaningless word to which users could append meaning and qualities.

It's an approach which emphasises the reality that you can't dictate brand values to your users. But it's not an excuse for inaction. In fact, it means you have to work harder. It requires an active passivity. It only works if you show that you actually stand for something.