Yesterday, the project New Aquarium launched its new name. It was the World Ocean Center O. – O for oxygen, the origin, the experiences, the discoveries, the optimism and us, said CEO Aslak Sverdrup when the name was presented. O is planned to be located on Dokken in the future, not far from Nordnes, where the famous Aquarium in Bergen is located today. The aquarium has long needed larger premises. The Institute of Marine Research and the Directorate of Fisheries are also co-located at Dokken. The New Aquarium project has now been named the World Ocean Center O. The new name was one of 3,500 proposals in a national competition. The jury, which included Guri Melby and Ingebrigt Steen Jensen, concluded that O was the best alternative. Less than a day after the name became known, several disagree with the jury’s assessment. – A big problem for society Associate Professor at the University of Bergen, Thor Øivind Jensen, has previously written a column in Aftenposten about “vague customs names” on public and private companies flourishing. – To me, it sounds like the name O is part of the trend where companies use names that do not mean anything, to get the freedom to do a lot of different things, he says. Jensen still believes it is a gamble to disconnect the name from what one is basically doing. – It is also a movement away from the relatively honest and fair where a name says something about what one is doing. For example, from Statoil, which said something about a state that ran on oil, to Equinor. He adds that such new and bland names alienate consumers. – It is a big problem for consumers and for society, Jensen says. KNOWN: The aquarium in Bergen will continue to be called the same as long as it is located on Nordnes. But in the future, the new aquarium will be part of the World Ocean Center O. Photo: The aquarium Fears of visitor numbers Another who reacts to the name is Jens Kihl, cultural editor of Bergens Tidende. In a comment in BT, he writes that Akvariet, which is one of Bergen’s strongest brands, will in the future be «reduced to zero. Or O. » To news, Kihl says that he hopes the name change will not have consequences for the visitor numbers to the World Ocean Center with the new aquarium. – But I will not be surprised if in a few years it will only be called the World Ocean Center if the marketing department gives up fronting the name O, he says. NOT IMPRESSED: Jens Kihl fears tourists will not find out when to visit the Bergen penguins. Photo: Tsion Bruk / news – Just a sound He adds that he thinks it is difficult to create an identity around a name that is so incomprehensible. – I do not think you can demand that the regular tourist should learn the whole vision for new O. An O can stand for anything. It’s just a sound, says Kihl. He points out that such a short name does not work in a search engine or as a URL. GETS A NEW HOME: The penguins in Bergen will in the future move to O. Photo: The aquarium in Bergen Nevertheless, he understands the arguments for a name change. – As I understand the new concept, they should do more than just show fish behind a glass. But the new name should be able to tell what we are to experience and learn, says. Vy and Oslo Met Kihl has previously also been critical of other name changes such as Oslo Met and Vy. In 2019, NSB changed its name to Vy. A change that cost around 280 million kroner. Afterwards, they plunged into a reputation survey. The company that conducted the survey called it the reputation decline of all time based on a name change. Oslo Met, which was previously called Oslo and Akershus University College (HiOA), also received a lot of negative attention when they changed their name. In Western Norway, the power company BKK, which was once called the Bergen Peninsula Municipal Power Company, changed its name last year. The choice fell on Eviny, who was called a nickname by media expert Maria Glambek. – Will create something completely different The CEO of the Aquarium, Aslak Sverdrup, also sat on the jury that chose the name. – We appreciate debate and commitment, and we had expected this, he says. Aslak Sverdrup, CEO of O Photo: Even Norheim Johansen / news He says that the Aquarium will be on Nordnes for many more years, and will not change its name as long as it is there. – We will not move from Nordnes to Dokken and create the same as we have done. We are going to create something completely different, which has significantly greater importance for our earth and our city. Therefore, a completely different name needs to be considered, and then we have arrived at this based on 3,500 proposals, he says. He says that any desire for attention and debate was not the reason for the name choice. – It is a fantastic description of what we are going to work with, and reflects many associations and forms to the sea, he says.
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– A big problem – news Vestland
