The Worst Name Ever

Have you ever come up with an idea you thought would work and yet it failed? Or how about the opposite? Have you ever come up with an idea… and it succeeded?

What was the difference?

Here’s the story behind one of the most iconic technologies used in the world today, and its secret lesson about what makes some ideas stick and others fail. And to start, we need to travel back over 1000 years to an obscure Danish chieftain… whose name you use every single day.

In the year 965 AD, northern Europe was a very different place than it is today. Instead of sophisticated countries and charming cities, much of the land was divided up into territories ruled by warring chieftains. And nowhere was it more rancorous than in Scandinavia. For 200 years, Viking ships had launched from the hidden fjords and inlets of what is now Denmark and Norway, to raid not just one another, but the entire northern seas spanning from Greenland to Greece.

While that certainly maintained a steady supply of plunder and prisoners, the Viking raids brought back something even more powerful: ideas. As these pagan Norsemen pillaged the cities and fortresses of Europe, they saw the might of politics, institutions, and centralized power. So much so, some began to wonder if this different way of governing and organizing society would work back home.

Enter Harald Gormsson. The son of a powerful king named Gorm, Harald had a knack for military stratagem and diplomacy and believed in his father’s vision of uniting the tribes of Denmark. He also saw the merit of this new-fangled religion called Christianity, and its ability to unite people under a common identity. And so through a combination of luck, conquest, and savvy politics, in 965 not only did Harald unify Denmark and Norway under one crown, but in one sweeping edict he declared all of his pagan subjects to officially be Christians.

As time passed and as Denmark’s empire grew to encompass the British isles and parts of Sweden, Harald’s place in history as the king who unified Denmark was secure. But curiously, people remembered him not just because of his accomplishments… but rather because of his poor dental hygiene. His nickname?

Blátǫnn in Old Norse. Or as we know it today, Bluetooth.

Fast forward 1000 years later to the late 1990’s in Sweden where engineers from major tech firms were collaborating on a technology that could connect devices across different brands. Their problem? They needed a codename for the technology.

From the BBC:

“Jim Kardach, an American Intel engineer, was collaborating with Swedish engineers when the conversation turned to Vikings. Intrigued, he immersed himself in a book about [history]… and became fascinated with the king who united Denmark and Norway, just like this new technology might unite different devices.”

What if they named the technology… Bluetooth?

At first all the corporate PR and marketing teams hated the idea. “It was about disgusting teeth, and bad breath!” they said. “Horrible branding!” But the idea and its rune-inspired logo, stuck. And today Bluetooth wireless technologies are used around the world.

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So why did this idea stick over others? A couple things come to mind.

Certainly the tech filled a need. Our lives are filled with an increasing supply of devices from competing brands and they need to work together.

The logo was catchy. Who thought a 1000 year old rune would matter in the information age?

And the name itself was distinct. Who else used the term Bluetooth?

But to me, one characteristic stands out above others:

Bluetooth originated with a powerful story. If anyone took the time and learned about Harald and his accomplishments, the technology and what it achieved, made even more sense.

By comparison, have you ever even heard of these names?

IrDA (Infrared Data Association)? HomeRF (Home Radio Frequency)? Wireless USB?

At the time, these were nearly identical technologies trying to solve the exact same problem. And here’s the point: While the names describe what they do, they don’t give you a reason to remember them.

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(Photo: My wife standing at the stone commemorating Harald Bluetooth in Jelling, Denmark)

Simon Sinek famously said, “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.”

While I agree, I think the statement is incomplete. I believe Simon should have followed up with, “And you can’t communicate your ‘why’ without telling a story.”

How often do we get stuck telling people what we do, how we do it, and the results we deliver? While all that may be true and necessary, the pitfall is… we don’t give people a reason to remember us.

Which is what stories can solve.

What is the story behind WHY you do what you do? What is the story behind WHY you serve people in your unique way? What is the story behind WHY you even got into this?

I’ve said before that attention follows value and connection. While most people don’t have a problem delivering value, most DO have a hard time balancing that message with connection. Because if attention follows value and connection, then value WITHOUT connection is just noise. And so they are ignored.

Story is your single greatest tool to connect with others… in an unforgettable way.

The question is, are you using it?

Just ask the Viking King whose name is sitting in your pocket right now.

Christian

CHRISTIAN HANSEN has gone behind the scenes in some of the biggest organizations in the world to find out the reasons why some people get chosen and why others don’t. As the #1 bestselling and LinkedIn Top Ten ranked author of “The Influence Mindset: The Art & Science of Getting People to Choose You” Christian helps teams and organizations who want to stand out and be the obvious choice. With degrees from Brigham Young University and The London School of Economics, he’s helped thousands of individuals position and sell themselves. A fan of international communication, history, and choral music, he currently lives in Utah with his family. Reach him at: TheChristianHansen.com