Audio Video News

It seems the rumors were (mostly) unfounded. 80-year-old electronics fixture Radio Shack is keeping its full name (sans space). While "The Shack" will play a part in the company's future ad campaigns, it is still keeping its beloved full name.

"The Shack Summer Netogether" is the kick-off point of RadioShack's new branding initiative. While everything from store logos to house brand products will still say "RadioShack," future ads and marketing materials will play up the chain's informal identity as "The Shack."

The Netogether itself is RadioShack's major event to start it off, a three-day gathering at Times Square in Net York and Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco where twin giant laptops have been set up to webcast the crowds to each other. Tomorrow and Saturday you can still drop by either spot to catch the goings-on. Audience participation games, prizes, and even the occasional performance (such as hip-hop supergroup The Roots, who played a quick set just an hour ago). Almost all of the signs at the Netogether say "The Shack," but you can rest assured that the stores themselves won't be changing. They'll still be Radio Shack.

This news isn't too surprising. The company has spent almost a century building up brand recognition as the place to get electronics components, cables, adapters, and (at least, pre-Best Buy) consumer electronics. It looks like it'll be keeping that recognition for a while longer. As for the Radio Shack/RadioShack distinction, the company has officially been RadioShack since its rebranding in 2000. However, most people still put the space in the name; the difference is, for consumers, purely academic.

— Will Greenwald