Matsushita Electric Industrial to Become Panasonic

Since everybody is such a big iPod fan nowadays, what would you say if Apple, because of the mp3 player's popularity, changed their name to iPod? Imagine saying that Steve Jobs is the CEO of the iPod Corporation...Rather strange, isn't it?

Although many of you would have liked this to be an Apple related news, our subject is in fact Panasonic. You might or might not know that Panasonic is (or more correctly was) just a brand. It's not a big company, it's not a small company, it's not even a pico company, it's just a "tiny" brand owned by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Every time you thought you purchased a Panasonic product, you were actually buying something made by Matsushita, which was afterwards sold to you under the "Panasonic" brand.

Well, as of October 1, 2008, this will change. No longer will the innocent fans and customers be tricked into believing that their products are made by Panasonic. As of October 1, 2008, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. will actually become Panasonic.

Leaving the joke aside, a press release issued today announces that "upon a company name change, the company will undertake its brand name change from the 'National' brand, which is used for home appliances and housing equipment in Japan, to the 'Panasonic' brand by the end of fiscal 2010, ending March 31, 2010. Subsequently, the 'National' brand will be abandoned and the corporate brands in Japan will be unified to the 'Panasonic' Brand."

And now for a little bit of history. The firm has been using the company name 'Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.' since 1935, following its earlier names, 'Matsushita Electric Manufacturing Works' since 1929 and 'Matsushita Electric Housewares Manufacturing Works' since 1918, when it was first established. While the company was using 'National' and 'Panasonic' brand names over the period, it decided in 2003 to unify a global brand into 'Panasonic' with a brand slogan 'Panasonic ideas for life.'

Apparently, the timing to change the company name and unify its global brand coincides with its 90th anniversary this year.

Now back to the joke mode, if you are an honest Chinese company ripping off Panasonic's products, there's no need to worry. You can still manufacture Panaphone, Panosonic or whatever wacky name you choose for your poor quality electronics.