OM Digital to Distance Self from Olympus Brand

4/3 Rumors cites a source indicating that Olympus camera spin-off OM Digital will be slowly distancing itself from the Olympus name over time. In retrospect, this earth-shaking news may have been telegraphed by the subsidiary’s decision (and likely contractual obligation) to not put the brand Olympus in its name.

Your Name Here

The brand on which they settled, OM Digital is the sort of name that a corporate lawyer files with the State of Delaware in expectation that, surely, they’ll think of something better at some point. It could have been worse. Early candidates vying for selection among the sleep-deprived paralegals and private equity analyst associates could have included Oh, Digital! or Going Concern. They weren’t photographers enough to realize that the use of “digital” in camera terms hasn’t had distinctive meaning for 10 years.

Perhaps the point of the spinoff is to keep a concern operating in order to preserve its acquisition value, and having a distinctive brand is actually a liability for the intent of re-homing the division with a company with an existing brand.

If, on the off chance, this is not the intent, Camnostic is offering some assistance to the MFT mount body manufacturer, holding a naming contest. People with suggestions for what OM Digital should call itself as it moves boldly forward under its own bottom can send them to Dirk@camnostic.com. The best will be offered up for vote in a future post.