Just a few months after coming out into the open, destination question and answer service Loqize.me has changed its name to LocalUncle.
The switch came after the Switzerland-based company [TLabs Showcase - Loqize.me] relocated to New York to pilot the service and build a user base, but found that the name simply didn't resonate with the locals.
The system works by allowing users to ask a question tied to a location (on a map). In theory, a question like "Where can I get the best burger in NYC?" appears on the system and pushes it a user’s social graph (currently Facebook and Twitter) and also to locals who live/work/travel at this specific location.
But any service, especially one that relies on affinity with the brand and a sense of community, which doesn't strike a chord with users is going to have a problem.
The founders have now changed the name admitted:
"When we opened up our first US office here in New York City we quickly found out that people didn’t know how to spell 'Loqize.me'.
"And that wasn’t their fault, it was ours. It’s what happens when you have founders who are fluent in too many languages and grew up outside the US (i.e., non-native English speakers)."
The founders, Philip Reichen and Philipe Fatio, stress users will not have to alter any settings or reapply to become members of the service, the change is automatic.
The only wrinkle in the switch concerns Facebook. A new site has been created, "because we can’t change the name of our Facebook Page (thanks for that one, Mark![Zuckerberg]) and have to start from scratch there."