The company formerly known as “Armor 3D” is now known as “Kimya”.
Changing a company name is a challenging matter, and not so much because there is a need to change business cards, signage and domain names, but more importantly because the memory of the public and customers is of the previous name. It’s relatively easy to change things within your control, but far more difficult to change things in people’s minds.
Thus it is not a frequent occurrence to see a company change their name. Nevertheless, Armor 3D, a three-year old provider of 3D printer filaments based in France, has changed their branding.
Their original name no doubt was derived from their owning company: Armor Group. This organization is a large industrial operation that produces many film, plastic and printing products in the eco space, including 3D printer filaments.
Their announcement does not specifically say why the name change occurred, but I have some speculation.
Most filament sales to 3D printer operators occur on an individual basis through an online service, meaning buyers have to somehow come to those web pages. This is most often done through a search.
But what happens if you search for “armor 3D”? You will find an enormous number of web pages talking about “armor” for toys and collectibles. Where is “armor 3D the filament provider”? Somewhere down that long search results list.
A typical reaction from a searcher might be: “too long, try another company I can actually find”.
Thus it may be that “Armor 3D” might have lost sales due to the challenge of being found on the web.
That to me is a sufficiently good reason to change a company name. And indeed it works: if you search for “kimya filaments” it’s at the top of the list.
The moral of the story here is for those considering a 3D print startup company: Choose your company name VERY CAREFULLY! Make sure it is a unique phrase that can easily be searched.
The easiest time to change a company name is when you create it. Make the best of that opportunity.
Via Armor Group
