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AMD VP details why they ditched ATI brand, but ‘Radeon’ stays

KitGuru were the first to break news that AMD were dropping the ATI name, weeks ago. We might not have gotten credit for it, but we are big enough to take it on the chin. AMD Corporate Brand Vice President John Volkmann has explained in his blog why AMD decided to ditch the ATI brand name.

He said: “Brands are intended to evoke emotions and create connections, even feelings that can transcend logic.   In that respect, the graphics business is very much like sports and politics in that people take their emotional positions and enjoy participating in the dialogue about the competition.   It’s part of the “fun” of the business.

Alas, we shall see the logo no more 🙁

Even so, many brands have come and gone, and there comes a time when the real value of a brand wanes, often before the sentimental value.  This is exactly the position we face now with the ATI brand – based on the hard facts of market research undertaken in early 2010, it is clear our strongest foot forward is actually a combination of AMD and product brands such as Radeon™ or FirePro™”

Those who have been stressing about the Radeon name being ditched don't have to worry however because the name isn't going anywhere.

“First, we learned that the “Radeon” brand is as strong as any other product or company brand in terms of awareness and consideration.  Oh, there are regional differences in favor of one brand or another – but in general, Radeon is well established as a leader in this segment.

Second, preference for the AMD brand is stronger against the competition than the ATI brand.  This isn’t to say the ATI brand isn’t strong… it says that enthusiasts assign higher brand preference to the AMD brand.   And it is a nice complement to the Radeon-related finding mentioned above.”

KitGuru says: Are you sad to see the ATI brand name gone or does it make sense to you in a company restructure?

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5 comments

  1. It is a very sad thing to hear, all dramatics aside they were a very loved company, especially by loyalist canadians

  2. It makes sense to me and I actually never knew why they didnt just immediately ditch the name in the first place. Its sad to see a brand vanish, but its been AMD for a while now, I see no problem. would be different if Intel bought them to close them down.

  3. Really they should have just ditched the AMD name and went with the stronger branding.

  4. It sucks, ATI were a legendary company. AMD taking over hasnt destroyed them, but losing their name is madness

  5. Nah, it makes sense. it wont make a difference, it just means people can call them AMD graphics cards now and not ATI which confused many reviewers and readers.