Netflix announced today that they were changing their DVD service's name to "Qwickster" and that they had basically dissolved DVD's into their own company. This comes after all that craziness with raising prices and consumer back-lash.

The general consensus in my office is: "Netflix, you're an idiot."

You clearly don't understand the affinity and power that your red envelopes and name have established over the last 12 years. So, let me remind you of the story for a little brand called: Coca-Cola. They made a similar decision back in 1995. Remember this?

Oh yeah?! THAT was a great idea.

So, instead of getting down on Netflix for this monumental blunder (which seemed impossible after the previous, pricing one), let me help you out Netflix. Change back NOW. Take this history lesson and re-re-brand your DVD service as "Netflix Classic." Or is that your plan already?

As if I needed further proof of this branding blunder, while trying to write this post I made 4 unsuccessful attempts to type in this new service's URL. I tried: qwuickster.com, qwickster.com, quickster.com, and qwikster.com before I finally stumbled onto the right one: www.qwikster.com I'm not sure what is more pathetic: the actual spelling of this new "brand" or their lack of foresight to buy up those URLs.

But then again, when it comes to an inability to read their own fan base and make smart decisions, is it really surprising anymore to see Netflix leading the way with brand-dissolving f-ups?