Lance Armstrong announced last month that he would form a new professional cycling team with the title sponsor RadioShack, but the team may be known by the nickname "the Shack" thanks to a new marketing campaign by the electronics outfit.
After 88 years as RadioShack, the company began selling itself as "The Shack" on Thursday. The name RadioShack will remain on stores, but its $200 million advertising campaign for TV and digital promotions will use the new, "friendlier" nickname.
Company CEO Lee Applbaum explained the change as a way to build confidence by familiarity. "Trust is a critical attribute of any successful retailer, and the reality is that most people trust friends, not corporations.
"When a brand becomes a friend, it often gets a nickname - take FedEx or Coke, for example. Our customers, associates and even the investor community have long referred to RadioShack as 'The Shack,' so we decided to embrace that fact and share it with the world," said Applbaum.
To kick off the campaign, "The Shack" is hosting a "Summer Netogether" in New York and San Francisco, featuring a "Bike Off" to raise funds for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.
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